January 6, 2006
In the spirit of a true doomer, I plucked out a few observations and comments that farmers are making. Thought maybe some of you would be interested and could better plan your food storage. Or budget.
Montana
With all the reports from my fellow farmers, why even bother. I wonder what the people will say when all the family farms are gone and they start paying 10 dollars for a loaf of bread.
Texas:
0 surface moisture; 0 subsoil; 0 winter wheat; 0 prospects. Not even enough moister to grow winter weeds.
Illinois
For us, corn in 06 makes no sense with current prices of fertilizer, seed, (now we have rootworm problems as well) and fuel. In this county, an average corn crop won’t pay the bills with these input levels.
Oklahoma:
Hard red winter wheat here has used up about 8 of its 9 lives. Some late-sowed wheat has not had any rain since planted. Some spots are already dead.
Nebraska:
Well, with the great temps we've had lately, no moisture and high winds, makes me wonder what the wheat is holding onto. Millet is going nowhere, sunflower prices have tanked, corn yields are hit and miss, dry edible bean prices are below costs of production, fuel is up a minimum 56% from '04 through the end of '05 with no relief in sight, and we have an administration hell bent on ending family farms. Hmmm, looks like one of those years when you close your eyes sharpen your pencil and hope your banker takes kindly to you for another year. Net worth is going to tank in '06.
Illinois:
Still very little moisture in Illinois. The little bit of snow we had melted off to leave the surface slick on top. The field tiles and ponds are still dry. The moles are pushing up dry dirt. We had a couple tenths of rain this morning and we need much, much more. We are better off than Texas now but look out this spring and summer. Last year we started out soggy and it helped the crops survive the driest season ever here. Yields where poor (65 to 155bu corn & 21 to 59 bu. soybeans) but we had a crop and that was surprising , to bad it does not pay the bills. This year we are starting out dryer than ever and we will need lots of rain on a regular basis or we are screwed
North Dakota:
Sunflower prices in the tank, inputs sky high. This area is going to have a rough time in ’06.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010400247.html?sub=AR