Growers take prevented plant insurance on 2,100 acres of corn due to wet spring
A persistently wet spring forced an historically late planting season, but a last-minute dash by local farmers led to around 85% of the county’s corn being planted, but less than two-thirds of soybeans.
Those numbers have state and federal officials looking at ways to help offset the losses accrued by local growers.
Howard County Extension Educator Mathias Ingle said best estimates indicate around 51,000 acres of corn and 44,000 acres of soybeans were planted this month in Howard County.
That’s compared to 62,000 acres of corn and 69,800 of soybeans in 2018, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Howard County’s planting numbers closely mirror the state average. According to the USDA’s most recent crop report, Indiana farmers had planted 84% of corn and 64% of soybeans by June 17.
Kent Chism, a lifelong farmer in western Howard County who serves on the Howard County Farm Bureau board, said given the less-than-ideal planting season, he was happy to get anything in the ground this year.
According to the USDA, there have only been 27 days suitable since late March for fieldwork in Indiana. That’s 20 days less when compared to the same timeframe in 2018. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the past 12 months have been the wettest on record in the U.S.
Chism said once the first dry stretch of weather hit earlier this month, farmers worked around the clock to get crops planted. He said his crews ended up planting their entire acreage in just nine days.
“It was pretty hectic,” he said. “There were a lot of midnight hours, but it was absolutely critical to get the corn in. It wasn’t ideal, but we did what we had to do, and now we have to live it. But at least we got something in.”
But some farmers weren’t as lucky. Ingle said he knows of a least a couple of local farmers who ended up not planting anything this year due to the wet spring.
In total, farmers took insurance payouts on around 2,100 acres of corn in Howard County due to being unable to plant. In Miami County, that jumped to 3,745 acres of corn.
The insurance, called prevented plant, hands out 55% of the guaranteed corn revenue price set by the insurance plan. A recent analysis by Purdue University estimated the payment would be around $375 per acre.
Now, state and federal officials are working to secure money for local farmers adversely affected by the late planting season.
Gov. Eric Holcomb said he is working with Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler and his staff, and the Indiana Farm Service Agency, to pursue options for agriculture assistance.
That will include decisions about proceeding with requests for federal assistance as crop assessments are completed at the county level.
“It’s been an extremely difficult year for farmers in Indiana,” said Kettler in a release. “That’s why we’re working to ensure we’re providing all available options.”
State officials are encouraging farmers to contact their local Farm Service Agency office and report their planted acres as soon as possible, but no later than July 15. The Farm Service Agency needs an accurate account of the fields impacted by the storms in Indiana to determine if a request can be made to the USDA.
Both senators and a group of U.S. representatives from Indiana also sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging swift action to help mitigate the immediate and long-term effects of planting hardship in Indiana.
Chism said for the farmers who did plant this year, the real key to success is how the rest of the growing season plays out. He said if the summer stays hot and it doesn’t rain too much, corn and soybean yields could turn out well despite the late planting.
“We need some sunshine and some heat to mature the crop, and we need to hold off the frost,” Chism said. “We might be asking for the moon, is what it comes down to.”
But a dismal growing season could be disastrous for crops, which are already more likely to produce far less than last year. An analysis by Purdue University shows that corn planted on June 10 could have a 20% lower yield that would end up putting farms in the red when the harvest rolls around.
But Chism remains optimistic a good growing season could iron out a lot of wrinkles created by the late planting.
“As of right now, I think we have a lot of good potential,” he said. “The crop looks good for the conditions that we had to plant it in.”