|
Summer full of questionsBy Holly Martin In Kansas, where a wheat field is as common as loaves of bread in cupboards, farmers are scratching their heads. Typically counties that have hundreds of thousands of acres have farmers who aren't even pulling combines into the fields. Floods have washed all of their hopes for a salvageable crop away. In central Kansas, farmers are seeing just how damaging the late freeze was. In western Kansas, wheat farmers are seeing some record-breaking yields. It rained--finally. And while the horrible snowstorm last January was far from what they would have wished for, it did bring desperately needed moisture. In the corn Belt, where corn fields are as common as hamburgers on the grill, farmers are also scratching their heads. It hasn't rained--or at least by their standards. And these issues translate into issues for the entire industry. Will there be enough seed to go around? What will it do to the markets and grain prices long term? If you are looking here for the answers, I'm sorry to say that's just not going to happen. I'll just keep asking questions. Like: Will the good crops in some areas give producers enough capital to recover from years of drought? Will the unusual weather patterns continue for several years? It's a waiting game for sure. The best advice I can give is the old adage of don't put all of your eggs into one basket. When you spread your risk, you stabilize your business. It doesn't always work, but it certainly can't hurt. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806 or e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. 7/23/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
