This week’s blast of winter weather has put a substantial portion of the soybean and corn harvest in southern Ontario at risk.
Thousands of acres are buried in snow in fields that are inaccessible to combines, grain buggies and transport trailers.
The outlook for the stranded corn is better than for the soybeans. Corn stalks and kernels are bred for durability. So long as stalks stand up to the stiff wind, corn can be harvested as late as March if the ground is solid.
Soybeans are at a comparative disadvantage. Soybeans are shorter, not as deeply rooted as corn, and have weaker stalks. With the heavy snow that has accumulated in Norfolk County and surrounding area since Sunday, there’s a strong possibility beans stranded in the field will be flattened.
Todd Austin, marketing manager for the Grain Farmers of Ontario, says 10% of the province’s soybean crop has yet to be harvested. This 10%, he added, is concentrated in areas that were held back by this summer’s moist, cool conditions.
“A standing field of soybeans doesn’t do very well with a cover of snow,” Austin said. “If there are too many more delays, it’s going to be tough getting off what’s left.”
Cash crop farmer Chris Van Paassen, chair of Norfolk’s Alternative Land Use Services committee, said problems arise when beans are low to the ground. The header of a combine requires a certain amount of clearance to work properly. Headers are not designed to scrape grain out of the dirt.
“Corn is not so bad,” Van Paassen said Wednesday. “It stays standing up pretty well. Beans are a little tougher. If the snow is heavy, it will push them down and it’ll be hard for the combine to get at them.”
Farmers with stranded crops should know where they stand next week. According to the Environment Canada forecast, the latest blast of cold air releases its grip Saturday with a sudden spike in temperatures and several days of rain. Under a best-case scenario, the rain washes the snow away, beans are left standing and another cold wave freezes the ground so equipment can operate without getting stuck. The next few days will tell the tale.
“Our guys are ready to roll,” Austin said. “It’s amazing how many acres they can get off in one day. The key is to get on the fields and harvest what you can.”
Extreme cold temperatures this week have also played havoc with other crops. Many root crops are left in the ground as long as possible for maximum freshness. Most can take a little cold, but not the Arctic-like temperatures of the past few days.
Larry Davis, Norfolk, Haldimand and Brant’s representative to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, says parsnips and carrots should be okay. However, he has heard reports of cold destroying potatoes. The last cabbage has also suffered.
“Cabbage likes a little cold, but not this much,” Davis said. “So yeah, there will be some losses in the farm community this year.”
Farmers who can’t harvest their crops due to bad weather are advised to contact their insurance adjustor before plowing them under. On Wednesday, corn was selling in the low $4 per bushel range while soybeans were in the range of $11 per bushel.
Source - http://www.simcoereformer.ca/
