Fall Harvests Way Behind Schedule: Crop Prices May Be Affected

Crops such as Corn, Cotton and Soybeans Affected

If it has seemed like it has been raining unusually often and by quite a bit, you are right. The months during harvest time (August/September/October) are traditionally the driest of year for most locations east of the Rockies, especially across the corn and cotton belts. This season, though, has been an exception. Here is a slide show that shows how the precipitation of these months has compared to normal. Since October is not over, yet, you have to review the weekly maps. Notice, August was the record wettest for Michigan; September was the record wettest for several states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

Now it isn't just how much rain that has been an issue but the frequency at which it has occurred. Here is a table the list a few key locations and the number of days since August 1^st that precipitation has occurred.

Location	# Rain Days	% Available Time has Been Wet
Atlanta, GA	39	44%
Huntsville, AL	39	44%
Memphis, TN	40	45%
Little Rock, AR	33	38%
St. Louis, MO	37	42%
Springfield, IL	36	41%
Des Moines, IA	39	44%
Indianapolis, IN	36	41%
Columbus, OH	41	47%
Madison, WI	34	39%
Minneapolis, MN	32	37%
Sioux Fall, SD	41	47%
Omaha, NE	33	38%
Raleigh, NC	40	45%
Monroe, LA	37	42%
Dallas, TX	32	37%

Most of this has occurred during the months of September and October, peak harvesting time. These numbers show that on average it is precipitating nearly every 2 to 3 days and that is keeping the farm fields just too wet to harvest. This is keeping farmers from getting to their crops. Now you may be thinking to yourself, "Oh well, when it dries out they will get them." But you must consider that the longer the crop lies wait to being harvested, the condition of the crop can deteriorate and in some case significantly.

For corn to be harvested, it must contain only about 15% to 18% moisture. In many of the Corn Belt states the moisture remains well above 25%. This can lead to the kernels beginning to rot if this condition lasts to long. Corn usually dries at a rate of ½% to 1% per day in the field. That would mean, at best, it could take another 1 to 2 weeks, with no additional precipitation, to allow the corn to dry enough now for harvest.

Cotton is also suffering. In some cases the cotton is hardening inside the boll. This will lead to the cotton breaking when it is harvested. It is also not drying out enough, like the corn, to be able to harvest. In addition, all of the recent rainfall has in some cases caused new growth to begin sprouting. This can cause damage to harvesting equipment.

In addition to corn and cotton, soybeans are also behind schedule. Like corn, there is a threshold mark for farmers to aim for in moisture content for harvest. For soybeans it is 13.5%. The University of Arkansas agriculture website states that harvesting during a wet season can be quite costly to farmers. This is due to the fact that wear and repair expenses increase in muddy fields. Additionally, a delayed harvest can result in high field shatter loss.

So how are farmers doing regarding their harvest to date? The following tables outline where the harvest status currently stands, as of October 25, and how it compares to last year and the 5-year average. In addition, I have provided how the crop condition is by providing you with the combined percentage of good and excellent and its comparison to last year.

Corn

State	% Harvested	5-YR AVG	Good/ Excellent Condition	2008 Condition
SD	15%	38%	80%	78%
MN	5%	48%	70%	70%
WI	8%	35%	60%	57%
NE	18%	45%	80%	77%
IA	13%	45%	76%	65%
MO	40%	80%	63%	50%
IL	15%	80%	60%	70%
IN	20%	63%	63%	59%
OH	20%	40%	73%	38%
KS	45%	80%	65%	60%
TX	85%	90%	38%	41%
KY	70%	90%	90%	55%
TN	80%	100%	80%	50%
NC	95%	100%	55%	20%

Soy Beans

State	% Harvested	5-YR AVG	Good/ Excellent Condition	2008 Condition
SD	40%	80%	70%	65%
MN	43%	95%	62%	58%
WI	25%	75%	60%	45%
NE	60%	85%	80%	70%
IA	45%	90%	72%	61%
MO	25%	60%	63%	48%
IL	35%	85%	55%	75%
IN	55%	80%	60%	50%
OH	75%	75%	70%	30%
KS	50%	65%	78%	70%
AR	40%	70%	40%	55%
LA	75%	95%	35%	20%
MS	60%	95%	25%	50%
KY	35%	60%	90%	50%
TN	35%	60%	80%	50%
NC	20%	15%	65%	55%

Cotton

State	% Harvested	5-YR AVG	Good/ Excellent Condition	2008 Condition
TX	20%	28%	40%	40%
AL	20%	50%	40%	50%
TN	8%	65%	50%	60%
NC	20%	45%	70%	55%
SC	30%	40%	50%	40%
GA	15%	40%	50%	40%
MS	10%	80%	15%	55%
LA	25%	90%	20%	10%
OK	10%	25%	70%	40%
KS	0%	10%	42%	55%
MO	15%	70%	57%	65%
AR	15%	75%	33%	58%