Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
The impact of the excessive rainfall from earlier this fall shows up in USDA’s November crop report for North Carolina.
The report shows impacts on two crops in particular: cotton and peanuts.
The October yield forecast for cotton was 891 pounds per acre. By November, the forecast had dropped to 783 pounds per acre. That’s a decrease of 255 pounds from last year’s record yield. It’s also 42 pounds below the 10-year average for cotton yields in North Carolina.
Peanut yields also declined in the latest forecast. The October estimate was 4,000 pounds per acre. The November estimate is 3,800 pounds per acre, which is 520 pounds below last year’s record. Still, the forecast is almost 300 pounds above the 10-year average.
Commissioner Troxler says it’s important to keep in mind that crop reports represent a statewide average. And in some areas of the state the situation is going to be much worse than what the report says.
Another crop of concern is soybeans. The November report actually showed a slight improvement in projected yields for soybeans, but additional rain in early November has continued to hamper the harvest. If mature soybeans continue to sit in the field, they are more likely to suffer damage.
And that’s an important point. It’s one thing to talk about changes in yield or production estimates. But the loss of quality is also a big issue for farmers. Lower quality means lower prices. So if you’ve got less of a crop to sell, and that crop has a lower quality, then that’s a double hit to your bottom line.
Click on the audio player below to listen to Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda talk about the November crop report.
[Audio:/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_11-17-15.mp3|titles=Today’s Topic for Nov. 17]
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