Progress made in harvest

Good weather is allowing farmers to make hay in harvesting their crops. But as farmers remain focused on this year’s harvest, a Wells Fargo agricultural economist is telling them that next year’s biggest concern will be the cost of inputs.

Michael Swanson said he is “bullish” about agriculture’s prospects, but he’s also encouraging ag producers to prepare for “an economic environment that includes rising commodity and input prices.”

This year’s growing and harvesting weather has created a volatile situation for farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office, reported this week that corn and sorghum harvests are now two and a half weeks behind the average, with many producers still reporting high grain moisture levels.

Because of the high moisture levels, drying capacity continues to limit harvest progress. The USDA is reporting long wait times at some elevators with facilities limiting deliveries of wet grain. The moisture levels have also created an unexpected input cost, along with a potential fire danger.

Nebraska State Fire Marshal John Falgione, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association and the Nebraska Cooperative Council are encouraging individuals involved in grain-drying operations to maintain drying equipment, thus resulting in fewer fire-related losses.

Falgione said some grain storage facilities and farms have recently experienced fires as a result of grain-drying operations.

While harvest was pretty well stymied during October because of wet, cool conditions, a third consecutive week of dry weather has allowed corn and sorghum harvests to make good progress.

That good harvesting weather is expected to continue. The National Weather Service in Hastings has forecast into the weekend temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s and no precipitation.

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