Producers who have an unplanned need for a harvest machine should evaluate carefully the solutions available to them. Many times, producers will make a quick decision to get harvest back rolling. The decision may be the right one, but sometimes it can have financial consequences.

The most common solutions to getting back into harvest when a combine goes down and can’t be fixed in a timely way are:

1. Employ a custom harvester to assist getting the crop out.
2. Lease a combine to finish out the harvest.
3. Buy a combine for this year and future years.

Let’s look at each one of these possible solutions. Continue reading at Southeast Farm Press.

ANOTHER GREAT WEEK FOR HARVEST

Continued hot, dry conditions last week were favorable for farmers and kept harvesting at a good pace. The crops that are being harvested show real overall promise for good yields. Soybean harvest is in progress and on track with the 5-year average. Double-cropped soybeans would benefit from rain to help pods fill out and pastures are showing heat stress. Farmers continue to feed hay, which brings with it fear of a shortage this winter. Tobacco cutting is progressing nicely. There were 6.4 days suitable for field work. Continue reading Tennessee NASS report at tn_09_19_16. The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at  cropprog-09-19-2016.

Corn and cotton were down; soybeans and wheat were mixed for the week. Early this week the USDA released the September WASDE and Crop Production reports (a detailed review of the reports can be found here: http://economics.ag.utk.edu/outlook.html). US corn yield and production were estimated at 174.4 bu/acre (down 0.7 bu/acre) and 15.092 billion bushels, respectively. In Tennessee, corn yields were estimated at 150 bu/acre down 5 bu/acre from last month and 10 bu/acre from 2015. Domestic and foreign corn ending stocks for the 2016/17 marketing year were estimated at 2.384 and 6.256 billion bushels, down 25 and 28 million bushels, respectively. Overall the reports for corn were neutral. Continue reading at Tennessee Market Highlights.

This link to UT Monthly Crop Outlook  contains a summary of the USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. Domestic balance sheets for corn, soybeans, cotton, and wheat are displayed along with price reaction in futures markets for each commodity on the day of the report release. Additionally, supply and demand estimates for key importing and exporting countries are provided for the current month along with change in estimates from the previous report. The Profitability Outlook section contains estimated returns per acre for each commodity based on 2016  Tennessee state average yield projections and current price offerings (note: cotton prices include a seed and hauling rebate). Variable expenses are based on the University of Tennessee Extension 2016 Row Crop Budgets. Prices are updated monthly; expenses are updated as warranted during the year and may be different than the expenses contained in the 2016 Row Crop Budgets. This section provides an estimation of the current relative profitability amongst major row crops in Tennessee. This month marks a transition to 2017 Profitability Outlook.

The report is prepared monthly by Dr. Aaron Smith and Chuck Danehower.

PRODUCERS MAKE HEADWAY WITH CORN, TOBACCO HARVEST

Hot, dry conditions last week allowed farmers to make great head-way with corn harvest, more than doubling progress from last week. Tobacco producers cut an additional 16 percent more tobacco since last week. Corn yields have been greatly variable depending on where earlier rains occurred. The hot, dry weather has caused some producers to feed hay, while others in less weather stressed areas have made an additional cutting. Cotton and soybean harvest has begun in a few areas. Continue reading Tennessee NASS report at tn_09_12_16. The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at cropprog-09-12-2016.

While a complete cropping plan for 2017 doesn’t have to be decided right now, it does need to be lined out on acres being considered for wheat production.

Essentially the decision will have to be made this fall whether to plant wheat and probably double crop with soybeans or to plant a different crop in the spring of 2017. A lot of decisions to be made now even before we know how the 2016 crop year will came out. Continue reading at Southeast Farm Press.

Corn, soybeans, cotton, and wheat were up for the week. December corn futures have rebounded 27 cents since the contract low on August 31of $3.14 ¾. Looking at cash prices, Lower-middle Tennessee has a 10 to 40 cent premium over other regions in the state due to abnormally dry conditions earlier this summer and strong local demand from the poultry industry. So far, yields in Lower-middle Tennessee have been extremely variable. In Northwest and Upper middle Tennessee yields will be more consistent and average yields should run at or slightly above trend line (155-165 bu/acre). Continue reading at Tennessee Market Highlights.

FARMERS MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

Dry weather allowed farmers to make excellent progress harvesting corn and tobacco and cutting hay. Corn yields varied wildly as some fields have received adequate rainfall while others have not. Soybean fields were browning and cotton bolls were beginning to crack open. Farmers in southern Middle Tennessee were still having trouble with sugarcane aphids and armyworms. Pasture conditions held steady.  Continue reading Tennessee NASS report at TN_09_06_16. The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at CropProg-09-06-2016.