(Sioux Center) — Farmers took full advantage of the weekend’s nice weather to
continue with this season’s harvest. Although many grain officials are saying the
moisture levels on soybeans are still a bit high, and some grain storage country
elevators have had to reject the delivery of soybeans. Many farmers switched from
harvesting soybeans, and instead began harvesting their corn. Calvin Diehl is the
grain manager with the Farmers Cooperative Society in Sioux Center. He estimates
nearly 70 percent of the region’s soybeans have been harvested, but he admits the
last 30 percent may be awhile before farmers can finish with the soybean harvest.
Diehl says despite the higher moisture content, soybean yields have been running
nearly five to ten percent better this year than last year.
Diehl comments that the quality of soybeans have been excellent, with better test
weights. The grain manager says farmers have witnessed a small price rally with
soybeans during the last few weeks, and he contributes the rally to conditions in
Brazil.
As noted earlier, many farmers switched from harvesting soybeans to starting on
their corn. Diehl believes the corn harvest is perhaps 15 to 20 percent
completed, and he believes the corn harvest may prove to be better than last year.
Diehl says many farmers still have corn stored from last year, and are waiting for
higher prices before they market the golden commodity. Several local grain
elevators are having to store this year’s corn in outside storage facilities.
