(Grand Haven Tribune) The weather challenges that delayed planting this past spring continue to haunt producers this fall as heavy rains throughout September and October, and now early snowfall in November, interfere with harvest activity, according to Michigan Farm Bureau field crops specialist Theresa Sisung.
“Most Michigan farmers were anticipating a late harvest due to the late planting of many major field crops, but the end of the 2019 crop year is proving to be just as difficult as the start of planting,” she said. “Yields had already been negatively impacted due to late-planting – but the harvest delays this fall are just adding insult to injury at this point.”
Sisung said the window of time is quickly closing before producers may be forced by Mother Nature to abandon crops, especially potatoes and sugarbeets, which were vulnerable to the record-cold temperatures this past week.
“Many farmers are also concerned they won’t be able to harvest corn for grain due to the late maturing of the crop, with estimated moisture content of grain that has been harvested running as high as 26 percent instead of the normal 18-20 percent,” Sisung explained, adding that the corn harvest is only 33 percent complete compared to the five-year average of 66 percent. “Unfortunately, the current weather pattern shows no significant dry-down opportunity.”
Soybean harvest at 74 percent complete is also lagging behind the five-year average of 86 percent, with higher-than-normal moisture levels averaging 17 percent instead of the normal 14-15 percent levels. The sugarbeet harvest, estimated at 80 percent complete, is running slightly behind the 84 percent five-year average.
The USDA’s November Crop Production Report, based on conditions as of Nov. 1, highlight the weather impact to Michigan and national-level yields and total production:
Michigan corn yield is down 2 bushels from last year to 151 bushels per acre. Total production is expected to be 263 million bushels, down 11 percent from last year. Michigan corn for grain harvest progress was the third lowest in the nation; only North Dakota and Wisconsin were further behind.
Michigan soybean yield is forecast at 42 bushels per acre. The yield is down 5.5 bushels from 2018, and production is forecast at 72.2 million bushels.
Sugarbeet growers anticipate a yield of 27.9 tons per acre, down 1.2 tons from last year. Production is forecast at 4.05 million tons. Sugarbeet harvest lags every other major sugarbeet producing state.
U.S. corn production for grain is forecast at 13.7 billion bushels, down a percent from the previous forecast and down 5 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of Nov. 1, yields are expected to average 167 bushels per harvested acre, down 1.4 bushels from the previous forecast and down 9.4 bushels from 2018. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 81.8 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up slightly from 2018.
U.S. soybean production for beans is forecast at 3.55 billion bushels, down slightly from the previous forecast and down 20 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of Nov. 1, yields are expected to average 46.9 bushels per acre, unchanged from the previous forecast but down 3.7 bushels from 2018. Area harvested for beans in the United States is forecast at 75.6 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but down 14 percent from 2018.
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