Report Shows 2019 Crop Continues to Lag
Cooperative fall weather is always important to Upper Midwest farmers. It will be especially important this year, with most area crops still far behind their normal development.
The weekly crop progress report, released July 22 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, found that the maturity of area crops, especially corn and soybeans, continues to lag their five-year averages.
Will Lag Continue?
China To Allow Some Buys of U.S. Corn, Cotton and Pork Tariff-Free
Bloomberg reports the Chinese government has approved several of its companies to buy U.S. corn, sorghum, and pork without having to pay those big tariffs in place between the U.S. and China.
Bloomberg reports textile mills were given permission to purchase a total 50,000 tons of U.S. cotton without paying the 25% retaliatory duty. It says sources report a number of companies will also be exempt from the tariffs on American pork, corn, and sorghum.
Bloomberg also reports the move follows the approval of some 3 million tons of U.S. soybeans for purchase with tariff waivers.
Read The Bloomber Report
Pilot Program To Introduce Agriculture Education Into Georgia Elementary Schools
A three-year pilot program is set to begin, aimed at incorporating agriculture education into Georgia elementary schools.
Cogburn Woods Elementary in Fulton County and Hill City Elementary in Pickens County are among the 20 schools taking part.
Christa Steinkamp with Georgia Agricultural Education says when many people think of agriculture, food is the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s actually much more.
Will More Crops Continue?
48% Of Farmers Say Their Corn Crop Is Below Average
Forty-eight percent of U.S. farmers say they expect their corn crop will deliver below-average yields this harvest, according to a Farm Journal Pulse survey conducted on Tuesday.
Of the 1,082 farmers who responded to the survey, 12% say they didn't get their crop planted. Only 10% of farmers surveyed say their crop is above average this year. See complete results at http://pulse.farmjournalmobile.com/index.php?campaign_id=492
See Full Results.
Meteorologists Affirm Farmer Angst About Summer Heat, Early Frost
Mother Nature has thrown farmers curve ball after curve ball in the 2019 growing season. First a long, late and historically wet winter delayed planting for much of the Corn Belt. Now, many farmers are facing hot dry weather and losing sleep over the thought of an early frost. Unfortunately, Kirk Heinz and Michael Clark of BAMWX.com validated those fears on an episode of AgriTalk this week.
“Into the Ohio Valley and Tennessee Valley area, if you can envision from there to the desert southwest with a with a void in the middle, from [tropical storm] Barry, that's where the risk is keeping things too dry,” Heinz explained adding a pressure ridge will continue to keep that area dry between now and July 23. “It's been wet, but you know, hey, we're kind of turning things around.”
What Weather Is Coming?
2019 Tariff Aid May Not Be Enough to Revive Sluggish Farm Economy
2019 is a year many farmers will never forget. A brutal spring continues to leave marks in fields, and for some farmers, the rains didn’t let up once summer hit.
“It's been one for the books this year,” says Mike Cochenour, a farmer in Spencer County, Ind. “We've seen unprecedented water in the springtime, especially starting about Memorial Day. We've had relentless rain through June.”
The rains created widespread variability, not just county to county, but field to field.
Will Tariff Aid Be Enough?