CORN 2020 Tuesday, January 28, 2020 | globegazette.com | SECTION D
North Iowa farmer, national board member talks production STEVEN THOMPSON
Special to the Globe Gazette
“This report is a non-event. The numbers are what they are and we will move on,” said Chris Edgington after the Jan. 10, USDA 2019 Corn Crop report was released. While many experts believed the final report would lower corn yields, and show fewer corn acres in 2019, the released information stayed close enough to former reporting that it failed to produce a rally in the corn market. Edgington, who is a director on the National Corn Growers Board, was hoping for a spike in corn prices when the report was published. Edgington Edgington grain farms with his brother and son northwest of St. Ansgar, in Mitchell County. “Some of our focuses on the Corn Growers Board was getting the USMCA Trade Agreement through the Senate. The Senate just ratified the agreement and now the president has to sign it. Then we will have to wait for Canada to ratify the agreement,” said Edgington. The USMCA Trade Agreement had been passed in the US House of Representatives in December. Speaking of positive events that might promote higher corn prices Edgington said, “On January 15 the president signed Phase One of the China Trade Agreement, but we don’t have many of the details. It does sound positive for Agriculture. We are also continuing to educate and promote sales of ethanol, especially E-15, which can now be sold year-round, throughout the country. It was a challenging year both on the production and trade front, but we did have some wins as well.” Speaking about world trade and tariffs Edgington said, “Agriculture wants free trade agreements around the world, but if politics prevent free trade, then measures need to be taken to help level out the financial cost to agricultural producers.” He believes corn exports will continue to increase once trade agreements are ratified. “As the world economies grow, higher protein foods will be more in demand,” Edgington said. “China is a big example of this as they consume 40 pounds more meat protein than they did 20
STEVEN THOMPSON PHOTOS, SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE GAZETTE
Mitch Huftalin loads corn at Osage Coop Elevator.
Duane Wagner unloads corn at Osage Coop Elevator.
Rail cars are moved to load out corn for Canada at Osage Coop Elevator.
years ago. Parts of Africa, India, as well as Southeast Asia household median incomes are improving, which is good for meat consumption. This will cause an increase in demand for corn and soybeans both globally and domestically. “Still, African Swine Fever in China and Southeast Asia has had a detrimental effect on their domestic meat supplies. It will take
more weather issues. Early planting predictions are from 93 to 94 million acres for the US in 2020.” Corn is not only used for human consumption and livestock feed, but for industrial uses as well. Today more than 4,000 products are manufactured out of corn: plastics, carpet, fructose sweetener, carriers for medicines, perfumes, and antibiotics are a few.
years to restock their swine herds. These countries will be looking to buy meat products from exporting countries including the US,” he said. Looking at current global corn production Edgington said, “Mother Nature has such an effect on world production. Currently Brazil is talking of a large corn crop, but Argentina has
“The corn plant is an amazing plant. Look at the weather in the US last year, and all the other challenges we faced, and we still raised a 168 bushels of corn to an acre, which is simply amazing. Corn farmers are continually looking to utilize fewer inputs, and still produce a high quality crop, while both improving air and water quality,” Edgington said.
Ouversons say conservation practices aid in corn production STEVEN THOMPSON
Special to the Globe Gazette
The Ouverson family who farm southwest of Fertile believe that conservation practices not only help to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, and improve water quality, but the practices
also reduce labor and machinery costs, which adds profits to their corn production. Jerry Ouverson and his sons Jeff and Jon began strip tilling in 2003 and in 2014, they added cover crops to their conservation practices in their row crop fields.
“We bought a high-residue cultivator in 2002, and in 2003 we modified it, and transformed it into a strip tilling machine. This will be the 18th year that we have used strip tilling,” said Jerry. “We started strip tilling because we didn’t think we needed to do all
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that tilling.” “The practice saved time, and wear and tear on equipment, and we didn’t have to rush to get all the tiling done every year,” said Jon. Time in the Ovuerson operation is at a premium. “I’ve got a full-time job and we
don’t have a lot of time to help Dad. If you strip till you don’t have to chop stocks, or chisel plow in the fall, in the spring you don’t have to field cultivate, or cultivate corn during the growing season. Please see OUVERSON, Page D4