Farm fields across north central Ohio have never been as productive as they were last year.

The state as a whole saw record yields in corn and soybeans, according to Cheryl Turner, state statistician for the Ohio field office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service — 176 bushels per acre for corn and 52.5 bushels for soybeans.

The record numbers were realized despite cooler temperatures and above-average rainfall across the growing season, Turner said. The lower temps and abundant precipitation kept soils from drying out too much, while insects were less of an issue. And yet when harvest approached several weeks of warm, dry conditions allowed the crops to dry on schedule, and let farmers get in their fields when they needed to.

New insurance program

Producers with up to $8.5 million in insured revenue, both crops and livestock, including organic commodities, are eligible to sign up for the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection crop insurance program, made available by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

Under the program’s two plans, farmers will be able to insure from 50 to 85 percent of their whole farm revenue, and not just one crop at a time. Coverage levels have been expanded beyond what’s been available before, including for expanding operations, the maximum amount of coverage has been raised, and coverage will also be offered for replanting.

The signup deadline for the coming crop year is March 15.

Meanwhile, the USDA said about 23,000 dairy farmers in the U.S. — that’s more than half of all dairy farms in the country — signed up for the new Margin Protection Program, which provides financial assistance to participating farmers when their margin, or difference between the price of milk and the cost of feed, falls below the selected coverage level.

“Enrollment far exceeded our expectations in the first year,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Registration for fiscal year 2016 will take place from July 1 to Sept. 30.

Source - http://www.marionstar.com