Barren fields are making Northeast Iowa producers nervous, but adverse weather isn’t driving grain prices skyward.

Monday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report said another wet week ensured more than half of Iowa’s intended corn acres—13.2 million—won’t be planted in a timely manner. The mythical planting window closed late last week for corn and will close next week for soybeans.

In Northeast Iowa, more than two-thirds of the corn acres still aren’t planted and no soybean plantings were recorded.

Iowa State University Extension research indicates late-planted corn yields less. Production is nipped 1 to 1.5 bushels a day at first, worsening as planters remain idle. For soybeans, yields are reduced .26 to .6 bushels per acre the longer grain drills and planters sit idle.

At this time last year, Steve Boevers of rural Readlyn could already see the fruits of his labor. Green corn in straight rows stretching toward the sky, soaking up precious rays of sunlight.

As of Monday, all he sees is black dirt too wet to plant. He only has about 400 acres of corn in the ground and needs another four or five days of dry weather to finish up. That’s not even counting soybeans yet to go.

“Things are not good. Not good at all,” Boevers said. “We’ve never had ideal conditions, that’s the problem. I think it’s already cut the yield, there’s no question about that.”

The report said the heaviest rains last week fell in the Highway 20 corridor. Eldora received 3.1 inches, while Waterloo got 1.55 inches. Since April 1, Waterloo has been inundated with 13.41 inches of precipitation, or 8.68 inches more than normal.

Even though 54 percent of Iowa’s crop still needs to be planted, and Iowa leads the nation in corn production, corn prices tumbled recently. Cash corn at East Central Iowa Cooperative in Hudson was $5.64 per bushel Monday afternoon, down 16 cents from late last week. Soybean prices also plummeted by 15 cents per bushel to $12.60 during the same time span.

The losses mirror the futures contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Brad Stewart, grain merchandiser for ECIC, said fund traders are controlling the market more than the weather and supply and demand at this time. He said speculators most likely were ensured a good short-term profit and sold contracts last week, pushing the market down.

“There’s no reason for the loss. We’re not trading on fundamentals (like weather),” Stewart said. “Fund (traders) are great when they’re buying, but not selling.”

Corn planting is 11 days behind the five-year average. Last year 70 percent of the corn was in at this time, while the five-year average is 82 percent complete.

It’s the same story throughout the upper Midwest. Farmers in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin farmers all report slow planting progress.

Cool, wet soils slowed emergence of crops. Not enough corn is up in Iowa to be reported and only 32 percent of Iowa’s oat crop is up, compared to 87 percent normally.

Boevers hoped to get in the fields late Monday. From now on, he’ll have the corn and soybean planters hooked up to separate tractors and ready to go as field conditions permit.

“I like to have beans done by Mothers Day,” he said, which was Sunday.

Farmers said it’s still too early to switch to shorter-season hybrids or switch corn acres to soybeans.

Areas of the state experienced erosion with last week’s rain. Cattle are being moved to permanent pasture, the report said.

“The wet and colder conditions last week continued to make it difficult for farmers to get in the field to plant. However, progress is being made throughout the state and over one-fifth of planned corn acres are planted,” said Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, in a press release. “Let’s hope it continues to warm up so we can get the rest of the crop in the ground soon.”

Author: Matthew Wilde, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

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