Harvest season wrapping upBy Paul Buum, Editor/Publisher Alcester farmer Keith Anderson dumps a load of freshly-combined corn into a truck to transport to the local grain elevator. Anderson said his yields are down this year. (Photo by Paul Buum, Editor/Publisher) Area farmers are wrapping up their harvest season in what could be South Dakota’s largest corn crop on record. The Agricultural Statistics Service in Sioux Falls has set the corn harvest forecast at 551.8 million bushels – up 77 percent from the 2006 harvest.But area farmers aren’t fairing so well with their corn. A long dry spell locally this summer, combined with heavy rains in September, have diminished the local harvest. Much of the corn grown locally also contains the aflatoxin fungus, which further diminishes the yield and the price received for the corn.Some area grain elevators are offering a premium for corn that they’ll need throughout the year. It’s doubtful that anyone will see large piles of corn sitting on empty lots as has been the case in years past.The Ag Statistics Service has forecast a corn yield of 124 bushels per acre, which is 27 bushels more than last year.The soybean forecast for the state was set at 130 million bushels, up 14% from the August prediction. |
