Crowds at this weeks Farm Progress Show viewing corn harvesting in Iowa.
Crowds at this week's Farm Progress Show viewing corn harvesting in Iowa.
 
  • Post to Your Wall.
 

Seed supply should be adequate for 2013

Seed industry representatives at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa last week admitted the obvious; the seed crop was hurt by the drought. We have comments from DuPont Pioneer's Todd Frazier.
Dan Grant 
Published: Aug 31, 2012
But the situation in many cases isn’t as bad as feared and in fact the seed supply for 2013 is expected to be adequate.

“From what I’ve seen, it’s not as bad as everybody thought,” said David Thompson, national sales and marketing director for Stine Seed.

“We’re over half way done with seed corn harvest and the returns are surprisingly good,” he continued. “It won’t be a bumper crop, but it will be an adequate crop.”

Thompson reported Stine Seed had some field failures in Southern Illinois. But production at other locations is expected to make up much of those losses.

Jeff Hartz, director of marketing for Wyffels Hybrids, said many of the company’s seed corn fields in North Central Illinois received timely rains of 1.5 inches in June and 1 inch in July.

“Our situation is pretty good on seed production,” Hartz said. “We have a strong domestic crop.”

“Obviously the drought had an impact (on seed production),” said Todd Frazier, Pioneer business director in Iowa and Missouri. “But we can meet the (seed) demand and have a little upside.”

How can seed suppliers be so confident in their supplies in the midst of the worst drought since 1988?

Industry representatives noted the majority of seed crops are irrigated, in-bred seed corn requires less water than commercial corn, a number of companies this year planted excess acres, and seed production in South America is expected to skyrocket and possibly set a new record.

“We went in with a plan to grow excess inventory, so we grew a much larger crop than we needed,” said Craig Anderson, vice president for sales for AgReliant Genetics. “And we’ll utilize counter-seasonal production in Chile and Argentina. This year we have a bigger plan (for South American production) than we would, otherwise.”

But, while the overall seed supply is expected to be adequate for 2013, industry representatives noted availability of some hybrids likely will be tight.

“In a year like this you can lose a field here and there and it will affect the supply of specific numbers,” Hartz said. “I’d advise farmers that if they have a hybrid they really want, get an order in and get it reserved.”

Anderson offered similar advice.

“Make decisions early and get things ordered,” he said. “There will be issues with certain hybrids, no doubt about it.”


Permalink: Click here

Comments
Read comments from others and share your own thoughts.
Please provide the answer to the following question:

 = 
 
Search this site:   

Read More Stories
Crop insurance key IFB focus in Senate debate
With Senate farm bill debate anticipated this week, Farm Bureau is girding up to protect crop insurance and other key programs in what could shape up as a heated floor fight.
Read this story

Finally! Some significant planting progress
Most farmers in Illinois this week finally were able to work fields for multiple days.
Read this story

Cattle on feed numbers down 3%
On-feed numbers and placements were higher than trade estimates. We have commentary on today's report from Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University ag economist.
Read this story

   
Finally! Some significant planting progress
Rainy week ahead for Illinois farmers
Crop insurance key IFB focus in Senate debate
USDA Planted Acres Report
Cattle on feed numbers down 3%
Chicago Fed: Farmland values rise in first quarter of 2013
House Ag Committee okays its farm bill
Informa revises crop forecasts
Illinois Farm Economics Summit scheduled
Economist: Exports could be driver of future demand
Top 50 Tags
   
iNet Solutions Group   Powered by iNet Solutions Group   ©2013 All rights reserved.