7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Agriculture Officials Not Sold on USDA Prospective Plantings Report
The U-S Department of Agriculture is expecting another good year for Illinois corn growers, but a state organization is skeptical of that prediction.

The USDA anticipates Illinois farmers will plant 12.2 million acres of corn this year and 9.1 million acres of soybeans. The corn estimate is up 1 percent over last year, when flooding made for abysmal planting conditions in many places. The soybean estimate, based on the USDA's prospective plantings report, represents a 1 percent decrease.

Mark Lambert, spokesman for the Illinois Corn Growers Association, says the estimate is generous given that many farmers might not be committed to growing corn this year.

"We had a very, very late harvest and a late planting because of wet conditions, so that land has not been prepared...there are a lot of acres that can go either corn or soybeans at the last minute based on whatever market signals are saying."

Despite the flooding and some crops not getting planted until mid-June, Lambert says 2008 produced the third-best corn production since 1949. He attributed part of the success to newer technology.

The Illinois Soybean Association says if the wet, cool weather of late in the state continues, some corn acres could go back to soybeans since corn typically needs dry topsoil for planting.

Lambert says the USDA's yearly predictions don't usually vary much, calling them an educated guess that he believes are off this year.
04 04 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.