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 The year 2019 was one of
the more challenging years in recent memory, with a wet fall in 2018
preventing most of the traditional field work and nitrogen
applications. This was followed up with an extremely wet spring
season causing a significant amount of planting to be pushed into
late May and even June.
The fall of 2019 saw some late harvest dates due to the late planted
crop, but field work was interspersed and was mostly completed. It’s
always a good feeling going into planting season with a good head
start!
Even with the extreme late planted crop in 2019, corn yields in
Logan County were respectable at 194.2 bushels per acre average
according to the National Ag Statistics Service. This places the 10
year average corn yield at 189 bushels per acre. Logan County did
not have enough reported yields on the soybean side to get a county
yield. If you look at the report, Logan County is included in the
other counties portion of the Central Crop Reporting District, which
averaged 62.2 bushels per acre. Sangamon County led the state in
both corn and soybean yields with 206.3 bushels per acre corn yield,
and 65.5 bushels per acre for soybeans.
On the economics side, Gary Schnitkey at the University of Illinois
had put out the 2020 Crop Budgets for Central Illinois High
Productivity Farmland in a corn and soybean rotation. He is
estimating corn revenues at $835 per acre, $391 direct costs, $125
power costs, and $74 overhead costs, leaving a net of $245 for land
costs and operator profit.
For soybeans the numbers are a bit lower at $573 gross revenue, $184
direct costs, $103 power costs, and $68 total overhead costs for
land costs and operator profit of $218 per acre. All looks good
until you compare the end figures with the average cash rent figures
for the county leaving a net loss for both crops.
As noted in previous editions, there is an increasing trend of
female farm operators. The 2017 Census of Agriculture reports over
25% of the producers in Logan County were female. Another
interesting note was over 20% of producers were in the new and
beginning farmer category. And, 49% of Logan County farms have sales
of over $100,000, while 24% have sales of less than $2,500. The
total value of the products sold from Logan County farms in 2017 was
$245,684,000.
Specialty crops continue to be of interest to local producers.
Relatively new crops for producers to consider are industrial hemp,
and even marijuana for medical and recreational use. Along with
these new ventures comes a tremendous amount of paperwork, including
permits and their associated fees. Many new agriculture and
horticulture related jobs are being created to support these
industries. More traditional enterprises being pursued include
specialty livestock, edible produce, fall decorative items, and farm
entertainment activities.
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Production agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous
occupations. There have been recent instances of tragic accidents
and even deaths in our state. Farmers and first responders do have
an opportunity to learn about safety in many areas including grain
handling systems and grain storage bins. If you are in the industry,
or serve as a first responder, by all means take advantage of a
workshop offered by the Grain Handling Safety Coalition. You will
learn about safety equipment and procedures, as well as the common
sense practices to stay safe in these systems. For all of us, with
increased equipment traffic on roads, everyone needs to be mindful
of the size of the equipment and the speed it travels at. Both
equipment and vehicle operators need to remain alert to keep roads
safe at all times, but particularly during the busy farming seasons
of planting and harvest.
As spring continues to head
our way, let’s remain positive and look forward to the opportunities
agriculture provides to us as individuals, families, and our
community.
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