Corn/beans, whatever the USDA might say the jury is still out

Here's some comments from certain dark & dank parts of the internet that Nogger selflessly frequents for you his adoring public relating to the ongoing shall I/shan't I plant beans or corn debate.

Now I must stress that these comments aren't picked specifically to back up any particular theory or agenda. These are all but one of the last eight postings on this particular site. The reason I haven't posted the eighth is that it is incredibly long-winded & boring, and despite forcing myself to read it twice I still can't make head nor tail of what the bloke is saying.

Here's the other seven:

4/01 - Sibley County, Minnesota: Planning on planting 100% corn this year. Corn is going to be KING this year. I was lucky enough to lock in fertilizer prices back in December. For some reason I have not really had a yield drag on corn on corn and now with VT3 corn, this is going to even be more true!


4/01 - Northern Minnesota: Looking like a late spring up here. Unless the weather does a dramatic turn-around, it will be another 30 days before we can even get into the fields. Going with our normal rotation this year. May go with some additional acres in corn if the weather cooperates. Sounds like others are also having issues with weather around the country. With 7 million acres less corn this year than last and stable demand, corn may go the same route wheat took earlier this year once the commodities buyers figure out a late spring usually means reduced average yields. Have contracted ~ half this years beans above the $11, sittin’ on the rest….$3.50 diesel may get ugly this year !!!


4/01 - Central Nebraska: After today's planting intentions report looks like soybean acres will take a sharp cut


3/31 - North Central Indiana Fulton/Miami Counties: I recently heard a comment, "This is looking like 1983." (A few of you won't remember that.) In our area I would agree. It was a wet cold spring and then turned off hot and dry in June and July. We are what I would call fully charged on moisture in our area. Every time it rains even a couple of tenths we have water standing in any low area. In past years we have become spoiled with being able to start tillage in late March or by the first of April. That will not happen this year. We're not pushing the panic button here but it has become a concern. In the last 50 years I don't remember not planting a crop. I'll bet we plant one this year. All ya all be careful out there. Take your time, do it right and do it safe!


3/31 Central Minnesota: 100% corn this year. Looks like I made the right call based on what the CBOT is doing.


3/31 - West-central Minnesota: Been running some basic cropping scenarios in light of recent futures prices. Using current prices for triple stack seed, fertilizer and chemicals corn generates $202.75 more net profit per acre than soybeans. I am in an area where the corn to soybean yield ratio favors corn at about 3.8:1 and the corn to soybean price ratio has gone from a high of about 2.5:1 to 2.01:1 today. If prices fall another 20% corn is still generates $113.07 more profit than soybeans. Crop insurance guarantees and historical payouts also favor corn. This leads me to believe that acres could still be switched from soybeans to corn.


3/31 - Central Minnesota: 100% corn this year. Looks like I made the right call based on what the CBOT is doing.