18
SATURDAY, SEPT. 29, 2018 • KOKOMO TRIBUNE
SOYBEAN
CROP:
Soybeans
prices are
down due
to
President
Trump’s
ongoing
tariff war.
(KT file photo)
CORN CROP:
Howard County and the surrounding area had a stellar corn harvest
in 2018.
(KT file photo)
BY CARSON
GERBER
KOKOMO TRIBUNE
T
here’s good news
and bad news about
this year’s harvest.
The good news is
area farmers saw a
bumper soybean and
corn crop that could set
records. The bad news is
corn prices are down,
and soybean prices are
even worse due to Presi-
dent Donald Trump’s on-
going tariff war.
Miami County Exten-
sion Educator Corey
Roser said Mother Na-
ture gave farmers a
nearly perfect growing
season this year, includ-
ing a not-too-hot sum-
mer with plenty of rain
that was evenly spread
out.
“We didn’t get the nor-
mal Sahara-like condi-
tions that Indiana is
sometimes plagued with
to slow down the pro-
cess,” he said. “And it
wasn’t a monsoon season
like we had last year.
The rain was spread
across the whole grow-
ing period.”
Brad Winger, who
farms corn and soybeans
with his family in east-
ern Howard County and
parts of Miami County,
said the year started out
well with good soil con-
ditions that made for a
smooth planting season.
And it just got better
from there.
“We had a lot of heat
and rain this summer,”
Winger said. “August rain
always makes for good
soybeans, and we’ve had
a lot of rain in August.
We’re anxious to get into
the fields and see how
good a year it really will
be.”
Howard County and
the surrounding area
isn’t the only place ex-
pecting a stellar harvest.
According to the U.S.
Department of Agricul-
ture, U.S. farmers are ex-
pected to produce a
record-high soybean crop
this year, with fields pro-
jected to produce 4.6 bil-
lion bushels. That’s up 7
percent from 2017.
Soybean yields are ex-
pected to average 51.6
bushels per acre, up 2.5
bushels from last year,
according to the USDA.
Record soybean yields
are expected in Indiana,
Alabama, Illinois, Ken-
tucky, Mississippi, Ne-
braska, Ohio and Penn-
sylvania.
Corn growers, on the
other hand, are expected
to decrease their produc-
tion slightly from last
year, and are forecast at
14.6 billion bushels.
Winger said it would
all be worth celebrating
if crop prices weren’t so
terrible.
“Our prices are in the
toilet, and it’s the tariffs
that have killed our soy-
bean prices,” he said.
Prices have plum-
meted since June follow-
ing the Trump adminis-
tration’s back-and-forth
trade war with China,
which slapped a 25-per-
cent import tariff on U.S.
soybeans in July.
Earlier this month, the
USDA announced initial
aid for farmers consist-
ing of about $4.7 billion
in payments to produc-
ers of seven agricultural
commodities, including
soybeans and corn, to
offset tumbling prices.
But, Winger said, those
payouts won’t do much
good. He said he’s set to
lose around $2.50 on ev-
ery bushel of soybeans.
The bailout money will
only make up about
80-cents of that loss, he
said.
“I was sort of all for
Mr. Trump at first, but
it’s time for him to get
these (trade deals) set-
tled,” he said. “It’s killing
agriculture. They’re try-
ing to put a Band-Aid on
it, but it’s just that. It’s
not nearly going to make
up for what we lost.”
Winger said to combat
that loss, he plans to
only sell enough of the
harvest this year to keep
the operation in the
black, and store the rest
in the hope of selling it
next year for a better
price.
“We still have to pay
our bills, so we’ll have to
cash some of it in,” he
said.
Extension Educator
Roser said this year’s
harvest is a little ironic,
considering one of the
best anticipated harvests
is coming at the worst
possible time. But
mostly, he said, it’s just
disappointing.
“I’m excited it’s going
to be a good year, but it’s
a shame we can’t get
that product out there
and get good money for
it that’s going into farm-
ers’ pockets,” he said.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
FARMERS ANTICIPATE RECORD-SETTING HARVEST WHILE PRICES HIT RECORD LOWS
AGRICULTURE
SPOTLIGHT
