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Several all-time crop records are brokenMITCHELL, S.D. (AP)--South Dakota farmers set a half-dozen records in 2007 with their production of corn, soybeans and wheat. Another record--the price of oats per bushel--was broken in January this year. "These are just very unusual times in having high prices for so many commodities" said Steve Noyes, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Statistics Service in Sioux Falls. "It's a very unusual situation (that's) causing some unusual prices across the board." All-time records set last year were: --Corn for grain acreage: 4.5 million acres. --Corn for grain production: 544.5 million bushels. --Corn in storage: 441.4 million bushels. --All wheat production: 147.5 million bushels. --Soybean yield: 42 bushels per acre. --Soybean average price: $9.70 per bushel. A record oats price of $3.06 a bushel was set in January. The Agricultural Statistics Service is surveying producers statewide in preparation for a report on prospective plantings this spring. "Weather's always a big factor, and that may allow them to plant what they're intending or it may change their plans," Noyes said. "If they say corn acres are down 5 million acres from last year and soybean acres are up, who knows what impact that will have on prices." Gregg Carlson, Extension director for the South Dakota State University Extension Service, said he wouldn't be surprised to see more land planted to wheat this year. "In some of our poorer soils, we might have an opportunity for greater profitability with wheat, which requires early season rain, as opposed to corn, which requires late-season rain," he said. Noyes said the high price of fertilization might dampen enthusiasm to plant more corn. Soybeans require less fertilizer than corn. "If they find out the cost of fertilizer is too high, they're not going to plant as much corn as they thought," he said. 3/31/08 Date: 3/26/08 Advertisement
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