Dry weather has allowed for abnormally fast soybean harvest across the country. Farmers in Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota have 100% of their beans out of the field, USDA reported Monday.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) says there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork in Louisiana the week ending Sunday, Nov. 6.
Read MoreDespite the many challenges of 2022, the October USDA production forecasts released during harvest did not paint the grim picture many were dreading. For the Midsouth area, average yields of major row crops were down, as most would expect.
Read MoreThe 26th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, the Southern Soybean & Corn Conference, the Delta States Irrigation Conference and the Southern Precision Ag Conference are headed to Baton Rouge, LA. The conferences are sponsored by Cotton Incorporated and US Rice Producers Association.
Read MoreThe 2022 LSU AgCenter soybean core block data is now available online. The data from previous years is also available at the LSU AgCenter. The soybean core block consists of three groups of soybean maturities (MG 3, 4, and 5).
Read MoreRestricted barge traffic on the Mississippi River is having an impact on the soybean and corn markets, although it’s more of an issue for soybeans.
“One of the big things hitting the news is that the Mississippi River, in particular the lower Mississippi River, is now very dry, water levels are very low, and barge traffic is restricted,” said Frayne Olson, grain marketing economist at North Dakota State University.
Read MoreThis month’s 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced supplies, greater feed and residual use, lower exports and corn used for ethanol, and smaller ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 13.895 billion bushels, down 49 million on a reduction in yield to 171.9 bushels per acre. Corn supplies are forecast at 15.322 billion bushels, a decline of 172 million bushels from last month, as lower production and beginning stocks are partially offset by higher imports.
Read MoreAs Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation continues to work with agencies and government officials to quantify the losses from August rain events, summer drought, and other weather related losses to this 2022 crop, we have received word from Louisiana’s Farm Service Agency that they are actively documenting the production losses from 2022 natural disasters.
Read MoreArea farmers say the recent rainfall in northeastern Louisiana has damaged crops so badly that many will not be able to recover financially if the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not step in.
Weeks of frequent rainfall in August and September have wrecked local crops and crop insurance likely will not cover the damage, according to Scott Franklin, a commercial rice dryer in Rayville.
Read MoreGreenfield Louisiana, in partnership with construction contractor Weitz, is encouraging local community members to register for a regional vendor summit by Sept. 30. The event will take place in October and details will be give to those who sign up.
Read MoreThe Port of Greater Baton Rouge has received a barge-mounted crane that will make it easier to unload grain despite the level of the Mississippi River.
The $7 million pedestal crane will unload grain directly from barges into Louis Dreyfus Company's elevator. Because the crane has the flexibility to unload barges at times of high or low river levels, this will benefit local farmers, said Jay Hardman, the port's executive director.
Read MoreIt is an understatement to say soybean farmers have had a challenging year in 2022. In April, farmers had to plant around several rain events. Despite the several April showers, 59% of the soybean fields in LA were planted by May 1 compared to the five-year average of 43% and 23% from last year.
Read MoreMany farmers in Louisiana and Mississippi are assessing the damage following heavy rains late last month, and Governor Edwards of Louisiana has even forwarded a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for help for farmers.
Read MoreThis month’s 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for lower supplies, smaller feed and residual use, reduced exports and corn used for ethanol, and tighter ending stocks. Beginning stocks for 2022/23 are projected 5 million bushels lower based on essentially offsetting export and corn used for ethanol changes for 2021/22.
Read MoreThe weather in the past months has really taken a toll on the crops at some Louisiana farms. Frogmore Farms is one of many that has lost harvest due to weather conditions.
John Branton, the managing partner and operator for Frogmore Farms, said, “As soon as the heat broke, we ended up getting a rain, which we thought was a blessing, but turned out to be 22 days of rain in August, and we got 12 inches at the end of the crop cycle. So what happened was that the crops simply rotted.”
Read MoreLast winter, Tensas Parish farmer Will Ratliffe was optimistic about this year's harvest. Commodity prices were up, and his 3,500 acres of soybeans, cotton and corn appeared set for a banner year.
But soon after, prices for fertilizer, fuel and other supplies climbed to unprecedented levels.
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