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Economist says it’s too early to think about late corn impact

 

A University of Illinois ag economist says the cold and snowy weather might influence corn acres, but it’s too soon to tell.   Todd Hubbs says, “We’ll see as we move forward.  Right now, I think it’s too early to worry about a major reduction in corn acreage but based on the snow we got this weekend and the wet and cold weather across large parts of the corn belt,  there’s a distinct possibility of lower corn acreage come the June acreage report.”

Hubbs says April is shaping up to be one of the coldest in the last 120 years in the Corn Belt and the Northern Plains, and the prospect of planting delays is raising questions about final corn acreage and the possible impact on yields.  He says the planting window starts to close after May 20 for a majority of corn production areas.  “At this point in time, the idea that there will be a significant yield hit due to late planting is a little premature.”

Hubbs says if corn planting gets pushed back too late, the possibility of switching over to soybeans becomes more prominent.