Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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Minnesota's corn and soybean harvests are forecast to fall well short of last year's crops, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.  The USDA predicts poor weather will cut the soybean yield by 11 percent, and corn by 6  percent.  


After a wet spring, a late summer dry spell in southern Minnesota is the latest worry.   Northstar Commodity chief analyst Mark Schultz in Minneapolis says the next week is crucial.

 
"We're expected to get some rain here this weekend.   But if we miss this rain and go into another warmer, dryer period after that -- if that were to unfold I could see the yields even slip further yet," he said.


Even with smaller yields though, most farmers should still make money, because grain prices prices are high.  Prices for corn rose 3.5 percent, soybeans about 2.5 percent, in trading on Thursday.


Nationally the corn yield is estimated at 153 bushels an acre, up slightly from 2010.  The nation's soybean harvest though is projected down about 5 percent, at 41 bushels an acre.

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Mark Steil

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Minnesota's corn and soybean harvests are forecast to fall well short of last year's crops, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.  The USDA predicts poor weather will cut the soybean yield by 11 percent, and corn by 6  percent.

Corn, soybean harvests to fall shorter this year

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