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.