Futures and Commodity Market News

Fri May 16, 2008

Breaking financial news 24/7 courtesy of TradingCharts.com Inc. / TFC Commodity Charts

May 11, 2008 (The Sedalia Democrat - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- It's shaping up to be a trying year for Cole Camp farmer Bryan Von Holton.

"I have planted not one acre yet this year. Hasn't even been close, not even remotely close," Von Holton said.

Von Holton, 41, farms 2,365 cropped acres of mainly corn and beans, along with some wheat. He started farming for himself in 1988 and switched to no-till procedures in the early 1990s to help protect his soil.

Using no-till procedures, the field stays untouched from last year's crop residue. It's good in a lot of ways, Von Holten said, but in an unusually wet spring the residue from last year's crop stays on top, keeping the sun and wind from the soil.

This year's spring is wetter than average. Rain for the area was about 0.13 inches above normal for May, and 0.78 inches above normal for the year, according to readings from Sedalia Memorial Airport as of 3 p.m. Thursday.

The rains have made for difficult farming. His fellow no-tillers have very little planted, Von Holton said. While some conventional tillers have gotten a little bit done, "nobody is near where they want to be."

"We're all facing the same thing. It's getting late and (there is) a long way to go," he said.

Normally by this time, farmers would have about 70 percent to 80 percent of their corn planted, said University of Missouri extension agriculture specialist Joni Ross. They have only about 30 percent in the ground.

It's as much the timing as the amount of rain that's been the problem, officials said.

"It's come in segments. The ground almost gets ready to work or plant, and then there comes another rain," said Fred Gruhn, who retired last year after farming in Lincoln from 1974 to 2007.

Gruhn said he's glad to be rid of the stress, "but that doesn't lighten up my concern for those that do it."

Farmers this season are seeing a perfect storm of cold weather, wet conditions and rising fertilizer and fuel costs.

Normally farmers will put anhydrous ammonia on the field in the fall to provide nitrogen, Ross said, but as the warm weather comes on the nitrogen has the potential to be lost.

And rising fuel costs are also worrying, Gruhn said. "On a continual rise, you know the earlier you get it done, the less it costs you," Gruhn said.

Gruhn saw a season like this in the early '80s, when the planting didn't finish until the middle of July. The harvest was poor that year, but a dry summer factored heavily into the low yield.

A favorable summer weather pattern could save the day, officials said.

"It's all dictated by the summer rain," Von Holton said.

Late planted corn can make up for lost time quickly, but it's more dependent on July and August rains. "If you get plenty of moisture through the summer you'll be fine and get a great crop," he said.

Other crops could be affected by the later plantings.

Ross said a shortage of soybean seed is also a concern. Normally roughly 98 percent of soybean seed is viable, but due to a shortage, farmers have resorted to using older seed and the yield could be as low as 80 percent.

Von Holton pre-ordered his soybeans, but said for someone who hadn't ordered it could be a concern.

His soybeans are still on track for a good year if planted within the next few weeks, and the wheat will come not too far behind, Von Holton said, making for a hectic summer. "It's going to be very intense, just straight through," he said.

Von Holten remained positive about this year's difficult season.

"There's no use in stressing about it. Just relax and get yourself ready to be as productive as you possibly can when the time comes and the field dries out," he said.

The good news, Ross said, is that Missouri's not alone in its problems. The surrounding states are having a similarly rough year, potentially helping farmers competitively.

"We're all in the same boat, which is a good thing," Ross said.

To see more of The Sedalia Democrat or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.sedaliademocrat.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Sedalia Democrat, Sedalia,
Mo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email
tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to
847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303,
Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Heath Hooper

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sedalia Democrat, Sedalia, Mo.

Please read the End User Agreement.
By accessing this page, you agree to the terms and conditions of the End User Agreement.

News provided by COMTEX