D2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 8,1983
NEWARK, Del. The severity
of the 1983 drought is reflected in
the U.S Department of
Agriculture's September crop
production estimates. The national
average corn yield is now
projected at 85.1 bushels per acre,
down 26 percent from last year’s
record 114.8 bushels and down 15
percent from last month’s
estimate. According to University
of Delaware extension crops
marketing specialist Carl German,
the corn yield is expected to be the
lowest since the frost-damaged
crop of 1974.
Estimates of corn acreage to be
harvested are considerably down
from a month ago, the economist
says. In August the federal crop
reporting service predicted 52.41
million acres would be picked.
They’ve reduced that estimate to
only 51.56 acres as compared to
last year’s total of 73.15 million
acres. The 1983 com crop is
projected at 4.39 billion bushels, 48
percent less than last year’s record
crop.
Delaware’s com yield now is
forecast at 11.3 million bushels -
that’s 39 percent less than the 18.6
million bushel record crop in 1982,
German says. The state average
yield is forecast at 75 bushels per
acre, down 27 bushels an acre from
last year.
Of the major corn-producing
states, only four are expected to
have average yields of 100 bushels
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Del. drop estimates way down
or more per acre-Minnesota,
Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin.
Yields in Kentucky and North
Carolina are expected to average
only 50 bushels an acre.
The U.S. soybean crop is
estimated at 1.535 billion bushels,
down 33 percent from a year ago
and 17 percent below the August
estimate. The national yield is
expected to average 24.9 bushels
an acre compared to last year’s
record 32.3 bushels and last
month’s estimate of 29.7 bushels.
At an estimated 6.13 million
bushels, the economist said
Delaware’s soybean crop could be
6 percent smaller than last year’s.
The average yield is estimated at
25 bushels an acre, one bushel
more than in 1982. Only five states
-lowa, Michigan, Minnesota,
Nebraska and Ohio-are expected
to have average yields of 30
bushels or more. Eleven major
states will probably have average
yields below 20 bushels an acre.
With a 1983 corn crop of 4.39
billion bushels and carry-over
stocks of about 3.45 billion, this
year’s com supply would total 7.84
billion bushels, down 27 percent
from last year. Carry-over stocks
of corn at the end of the 1983-84
marketing year may be below one
billion bushels for the first time in
seven years, German says.
"University of Illinois
economists are predicting that,
because of reduced stocks, the
BRUNING
price of corn will have to go high
enough and slay there long.enough
to reduce total use about 4 percent
from the current year’s level,” the
specialist said. "They predict that
exports and domestic processing of
corn will probably increase
marginally during the coming
year. This means domestic feed
use will have to cut 7 to 8 percent to
adjust to the reduced supply.”
The price of corn could well
exceed the previous high of $3.76
for the December futures contract,
German says. It may approach $4
a bushel. Prices will need to stay at
relatively high levels for a period
of perhaps two months to reduce
feed demand, he says.
A 1983 soybean crop of 1.535
billion bushels and carry-over
stocks of 455 million bushels would
result in a total supply, of 1.99
billion bushels. Assuming that a
minimum pipeline carry-over
supply is about 120 million bushels,
soybean use may have to be cut
about 10 percent during the coming
year, he says.
The export demand for soybeans
I
should remain relatively strong
because available supplies of
soybeans and products in South
America are small. Domestic
demand may have to be reduced
by about 12 to 13 percent during the
year ahead. German says the price
of soybeans is expected to reach
new highs for the current year
Hunter bill passes House
HARRISBURG Legislation
introduced by Rep. Terry Scheetz
to curb crop damage caused by
hunters has passed the state House
nearly unanimously.
House Bill 686, introduced by
Scheetz last April, was sent to the
Senate by a vote of 198 to 1. It
would prohibit hunting and
trapping in unharvested fields
withouth permission from the
farmer.
Scheetz’s measure calls for fines
and damages to be* paid by those
who fail to comply and it would
change enforcement responsibility
November futures may go above
$lO and possibly much higher if the
rate of use remains high.
With this outlook, livestock
producers will be felling the
squeeze, and consumers can ex
pect to pay more for meat in the
coming year.
from local police to Game Com
mission officials.
“Hunters who would break the
law would be subject to a $lOO fine
and a year-long suspension of their
hunting privileges,” noted Scheetz.
“This vote represented a victory
for farmers and hunters. Farmers
will hopefully see less damage and
hunters will see fewer ‘no
trespassing’ signs and will be able
to hunt on a larger number of
harested fields.
“I expect that the measure will
receive expeditious consideration
in the Senate.”