Grainnet

East Lansing—Michigan agriculture is poised to start the harvest of fall crops, and while earlier excitement has been tempered with dry weather for the past couple months, new technology and robust new investments will push continued growth for the state’s No. 2 industry, the Michigan Agri-Business Association said Sept. 3.

“Michigan agriculture is a great industry to be involved with, especially today, and while production for 2010 got off to a great start, yields will not reach their full potential because we missed some rain in July and August,” MABA President Jim Byrum said today.

“With technological advances, greater market access, more integrated market potential and growing respect in all quarters for what we do, Michigan agriculture is still in a position to grow from strength to strength.

"Michigan agriculture across the board continues to show positive trends.

"This is good news for those in the industry, from small, local farms that produce vegetables for their own consumption or sale at farmers markets in season, to very large farms – all still family farms, though – that grow for a global market.”

MABA reports that with a very early start to planting this past spring, harvest will be unseasonably early this year, as well.

Crops such as corn, soybeans, sugar beets and dry beans, including navy and black beans, are showing indications of a good harvest.

And wheat, which has already been harvested, is of excellent quality and came in with good yields. Below are some of the early projections:

• Michigan's corn yield was projected by the USDA to be 156 bushels per acre, surpassing last year's record yield of 148 bushels per acre. Total corn production in Michigan for 2010 is also projected to be a record at 343.2 million bushels. With more harvested acres and higher yields, 2010’s production is projected to be 11 percent higher than the previous record in 2009. Byrum said the recent dry weather may take a few bushels off that projected 2010 yield, though.

• Michigan’s 2010 wheat yield is also projected higher than last year, at 71 bushels per acre, around 2 bushels per acre more than in 2009. Winter wheat in Michigan is expected to total 34.79 million bushels in 2010. Of note are the great prices for Michigan wheat, projected at more than $5 per bushel in 2010, up from $4 per bushel in 2009. • Michigan dry beans are also on track for a strong year in 2010, with production estimated at more than 3.8 million cwt, up from 3.5 million cwt last year. Dry bean acreage is also up 15 percent from 2009, at 230,000 acres in 2010. The challenge with dry beans is that they are very dry, which could mean some problems for farmers and handlers as they must be very careful to avoid damaging the beans.

• The 2010 Michigan soybean yield was projected to be 44 bushels, the second best on record. Michigan’s total soybean production is expected to total 89.87 million bushels, up 13 percent from 2009. Soybean yields may also be a bit disappointing as dry weather again had a negative affect on yield late in the growing season.

• Sugar beet growers estimate a yield of more than 29 tons per acre, up 4.6 tons from 2009 – and potentially a new record in terms of high yield and production. Michigan Sugar Company officials expect to process more than 4.2 million tons of sugar beets in 2010, up from 3.6 million tons in 2009. The 900-plus growers of Michigan Sugar planted more than 155,000 acres of sugar beets 2010, up from the 145,000 acres planted last year.

In 2010, Michigan is on track to record around 500 million combined bushels of corn, wheat and soybeans – more than 2.5 times the amount in 1970, which saw only 182 million bushels of those commodities.

“Prices for corn and soybeans have been trending upward, so farmers should financially fare pretty well at harvest, even if production is off a bit from earlier estimates,” Byrum said.

“Wheat prices are also up from last year’s levels, and that will encourage more wheat acres to be planted this fall.”

“Michigan agriculture is a $71.3-billion-a-year industry that employs more than 1 million people in our state, and 2010 is looking like another solid year for this important sector, despite weather challenges,” Byrum said.

“Michigan’s many family owned agricultural businesses continue to invest in new infrastructure and technology across the board, and that’s what’s driving the growth and success of agriculture.

"Michigan agriculture will continue to be an important pillar of our state’s economy and our efforts to diversify and strengthen that economy.”

For more information, visit: www.miagbiz.org.

For more information, call 517-336-0223.

See Related Websites/Articles:

• MABA

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