Can U.S. Soy Hold onto Yield?

By Jen Del Carmen

Each summer, especially as harvest grows near, international buyers are increasingly interested in and asking farmers how their crops look. With its annual Crop Tour, Pro Farmer helps answer that question. This year, U.S. Soy teamed up with Pro Farmer to help shed light on crop quality, crop progress and anticipated yields.

The crop looks good right now but without moisture, we could see that fall in some areas, said Chip Flory, editorial director and host at Pro Farmer and Farm Journal Media. Flory presented the results to hundreds of global customers Aug. 25 during the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange and Specialty Grains Conference.

Flory shared that many bean fields are at a critical stage in needed rain. If soybeans can catch a rain or two in the next couple of weeks, those pods could easily fill out. On the flip side, if it doesn’t rain, we could lose some. Dependent on weather, it could tilt either way, he explained.

He also noted that scouts were a bit surprised as they got into fields. From the road, the crop looked good, he said, but when you got into the fields, the pod counts weren’t there. However, Flory reminded buyers: It’s not the pod counts that equate to yield; it’s how they fill out.