2018 Farm Outlook

2018 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Oct. 25, 2018 Page 7 I n March of 2018, the National Corn Growers Association reported that across the country, there would be fewer corn acres planted this year. Of the 48 states included in the survey of producers, 33 states reported that farmers would plant less corn acres in 2018 than in 2017. Across the country corn acres have been on the decline over the last few years, with soybean acres being on the increase at approximately the same rate, an indication that the era of corn-on-corn production is fading and farmers are once again looking at the organic value of crop rotation. Additionally, soybean prices have been high over the last two years, enough so that the lower bushel per acre crop brings in more dollars per acre. In 2016 across the 48 states, approximately 95 million acres of farmland were planted to corn. In 2017 corn and soybean crops were equal at 90 M acres planted. In 2018 corn numbers dropped to 89.1 M acres planted, just one percent less than in 2017, and Less corn acres planted, but lower prices - Where is the silver lining in that? By Nila Smith soybean acres at 89.6 M acres planted were up one percent from 2017. Three big producing states reported that corn acres would decrease by 300,000 or more. Those states were Kansas, Minnesota and North Dakota. However a few states indicated that corn acres would increase in 2018. Among those states were Nevada, Oregon and Ohio. In 2017 a research article written by Michael D. Helman with the University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Research Institute indicated that within the state of Nevada a downward trend in markets for beef cattle, dairy products as well as wool was going to be an ongoing issue for the state agricultural producers over the next few years. While the report referred to the opportunity for gain to be moderate, other factors were entering into the equation, such as the impact weather and drought was having on alfalfa crops and the need for an increase in purchased feed stocks for all livestock producers. CONTINUED