|
 Anhydrous
prices were decreased, then increased again as the spring season
loomed. Farm equipment became a bit easier to acquire, just like
cars and trucks. Also, commodity prices are reduced from what we
have seen at the high years of the current cycle.
Weather will once again be one of the top stories for the season. We
continue with the overall warming pattern, and moisture availability
will be crucial to raising a good crop. We are entering spring with
relatively dry conditions. Some areas received substantial rains
during the mid to late winter months which helped alleviate
extremely dry conditions. Relatively dry fall conditions allowed for
fall field work to be done where desired. Weather conditions will be
the overriding factor in markets as we get into the summer, and many
are hoping for a weather rebound for markets in the early summer to
price some grain.
Logan County producers continue to look for alternative crops to
increase income on available acres. Most of these crops such as
canning pumpkins or popcorn are contracted with companies or
processors. Acreage has increased for these two crops, and a few
others such as white corn and specialty soybeans. Producing seed for
next year’s crop is also an important crop grown in the county.
Crop yields from the fall of
2023 harvest dropped slightly from the prior year, according to
numbers from the Agriculture Statistics Service. The 2022 corn and
soybean yields were 229.1 for corn and 71.8 bushels per acre for
soybeans. The 2023 corn yield was pegged at 211.1 and soybeans were
at 68.4. That placed corn yields slightly less than their 10 year
average, and soybean yields 2.4 bushels per acre over the average
from the eight reported yields from the last 10 years for Logan
County.
With some county level 2022 ag census data available, it is
interesting to look at the size of farms and the number of farms in
Logan County. Farm numbers continue to decrease. The 2022 number is
623 while the 2017 number was 683, for almost a nine percent
decrease over the five-year period. The average farm size is now 610
acres, up from 518 and over a 17 percent increase. The largest farm
number increases were in the 10 – 49 acres category and in the 1000
to 1099 acres category. The trends continue to show larger farms for
commercial farms, and an increasing number of small specialty
growers with specialty crops, livestock, or rural dwellings with a
smaller acreage associated with their home.
[to top of second column] |
Agriculture remains a vibrant,
important industry in Logan County. The 2022 Ag Census reports the
market value of ag products sold for Logan County at $435,962,000,
or almost $700,000 per farm. Remember agriculture is a low margin
business on average, so expenses take up a large portion of that
revenue. In fact, income projections from Gary Schnitkey and Nick
Paulson at the University of Illinois are projected for losses in
both 2023 and 2024.
The 2024 growing season is
ahead of us, and there remains optimism for raising a good crop and
producing a good income for the family. That is the way it has
always been for those in agriculture, and the coming year is no
exception. March 19 has been designated Ag Day to celebrate those
who produce the abundance of food we in our country have become
accustomed to. Remember to celebrate those who help produce and
deliver the bounty to our table.
[John Fulton
Agriculture Consultant
Lincoln Daily News]
|
