(Resource News International) — Warm, dry conditions through October were beneficial for corn crops in Manitoba, currently being harvested.
Theresa Bergsma, secretary manager of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association at Carman, said that aside from a few drowned-out spots, most of the corn crops in the province were looking very good and the harvest was progressing smoothly.
She had heard early yield reports in the area of 110 to 160 bushels per acre, which are good for the province. In one case a field hit 200 bushels per acre, which would be a first in Manitoba.
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While wet conditions caused some problems in Manitoba early in the growing season, corn is now coming off the field in relatively dry condition. Low moisture content in the harvested corn would create some cost savings for producers, Bergsma said, as there will be less of a need for drying this year.
In addition to the low moisture content, Bergsma said the quality and test weights were good, with most of the crop likely grading as No. 1.
“If there are any problems they will be so slight that they will be able to blend it off easily,” she said.
Bergsma estimated it would take another two weeks to wrap up the corn harvest, with operations likely 70 to 80 per cent done by the end of this week if the weather continues to co-operate.
From a pricing standpoint, Bergsma said, bids in Manitoba were generally following the strength in the U.S. futures market. “I think there’s just less corn all around than people thought, which is a bonus for corn growers.”
