Farm publications appear full of equipment auction notices, giving the impression of a bleak outlook for 2017. However, I think the profitability outlook is better now than a year ago.

Soybean prices for 2017 harvest are 17 percent better now than mid-January 2016. Corn prices are even up slightly, cotton even. Wheat is currently 8 percent worse compared to harvest prices offered in January 2016. Continue reading at Southeast Farm Press.

Corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat were up for the week. New crop corn futures continue to elude the psychological barrier of $4.00/ bu. However, the trend in December 2017 corn futures has been up since the contract low of $3.58 ½ on August 31, 2016. It is likely that 2017 harvest futures will get above $4.00 in the next couple of months so holding off on pricing new crop may be warranted. Given large domestic and global supplies it remains unlikely that a dramatic price appreciation is likely, so be vigilant in pricing some production if harvest futures are between $4.00 and $4.25. Continue reading at Tennessee Market Highlights.

One day this winter at the research station, an administrative assistant discovered many very small, brown insects crawling on the floor and wall near the bottom of a stairwell. She brought them to the attention of the Bugs Crew and Dr. Stewart identified them as granary weevils (Coleoptera: Superfamily Curculionidae: Subfamily Dryophthorinae). He then knew that there was some corn or other whole grain somewhere nearby that these weevils were feeding on. Indeed, there were some small baskets of shelled field corn used in an educational display, but now stored in a closet, that were heavily infested with these pests. Continue reading →

Released: January 12, 2017

2016 Tennessee Annual Crop Production

Corn production in Tennessee is estimated at 125 million bushels, up 6 percent from the November forecast and up 7 percent from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 151 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from the previous forecast and down 9 bushels from the 2015 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 830,000 acres, up 100,000 acres from 2015. U.S. corn production is estimated at 15.1 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the November forecast and up 11 percent from 2015. Yields averaged 174.6 bushels per acre, down 0.7 bushels from the previous forecast and up 6.2 bushels from 2015. Area harvested for grain was estimated at 86.7 million acres, down slightly from the November forecast and up 7 percent from 2015. Continue reading at TN AN Crop Prod 2016.