Farmers across the corn belt are confirming 2019 is the biggest disaster year they’ve seen in their farming careers. Dubois, Indiana farmer Kevin Kalb was a champ last year in the National Corn Growers Association yield contest with a non-irrigated corn yield of 388 bushels per acre. He says he won’t be winning any contests this year and the state of Indiana will see a huge drop in the corn yield, with only 36-percent of the crop rated good to excellent.
Northern Illinois farmer Jerry Gulke says he can’t ever remember a planting season disaster of this magnitude in the state or U.S. In fact, only 44-percent of the corn and soybean crop in Illinois is rated in good to excellent condition.
Nebraska has been the garden spot of the nation at 74-percent good to excellent on soybeans and 75-percent on corn. However, Jimmy Frederick says his farm in the southeast corner of the state doesn’t reflect that as he’s faced excessive moisture, flooding and had 1,200 acres of prevented plant so his yields will be down.
U.S. crop conditions are at seven-year lows at only 58-percent good to excellent on corn, with a 54-percent rating on soybeans.
