What impact will a weak La Nina have on Corn in 2020?

How well are corn crops growing in the US mid-west?

We may have an idea of the amount of acreage planted in 2020 for corn and soybeans (did anything change because of COVID-19 scares), but what impact will the weather and other growing conditions have on yields in the US mid-west? 

The 2020 Annual US Corn Belt Crop Tour began on June 27 and will continue until July 15.  It is the 9^th year that tour organizer, Moe Agostino, Commodity Marketing Expert with Farms.com Risk Management has organized the tour.

Agostino will travel through 12 different states to evaluate what is happening in the fields, and to see the differences county by county in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. 

As Agostino travels through the corn belt, he will assess if there is too little moisture, too much moisture, or just the right amount of moisture for a record-breaking corn crop. 

On the first day of the tour, Agostino reported on twitter, “Day 1 June 27, 2020 #cornbelt20 in state of OH. Surplus soil moisture down from 43% April 20 to 3% on June 22, but timely rains = green, lush, healthy crops. No crop stress. #corn G-E 56% vs. 2019 39%, #soybeans 565 G-E vs. 2019 at 30%.”

According to the USDA, dry weather is slowing entering the Corn Belt.  The USDA estimates that 95 percent of the corn crop is emerged, but also says the dry air is starting to impact crop health. 

Agostino says the point of the 2020 Annual US Corn Belt Crop Tour is not to count corn kernels or soybean pods, but rather to have an early indication of the size of the corn and soybean crops to helps farmer anticipate or project where prices may be headed this growing season.

Once the tour is concluded, Agostino will share his assessments with farmers on July 20.  In the meantime, Farmers can follow @FarmsMarketing on twitter or search using the hashtag #cornbelt20.

Agostino indicates that he is still welcoming farmers to volunteer to be interviewed on camera for the tour.  To volunteer, call:  : 877-438-5729 x5040.