Not to fan this ember of a flame too much,-- today I read that stone and others are expecting corn at an 81m or less harvested acres. With the acres yet to be harvested in several regions, I would guess we are now at 77-8 m acres harvested on the 7th of february. Beans are still in the field in similar numbers.
Corn yields were not much to brag about in kansas. We have not seen that steady up trend line.... But then usda yields have nothing to do with actual numbers. They are there to pad the carry. A throttle on food concerns and an ego boost to those who think the economy can't function without their phenomenal work --never planting an acre or delivering anything edible.
Ks production is down for corn and wheat........ both crops that are past their production peaks...... Wheat acres have slipped 40% over several years in ks.
Corn and milo are sliding quickly to----
1... lost water pumping volume.... and a promise from a new governor that another 25% will be cut from irrigation. (Probably wearing white, she won only 3 counties out of 105,--- which was enough to become Governor. Needless to say those three counties can't feed themselves on the agriculture they produce. And I am sure she thinks teacher salary taxes will make up for the loss of revenue of oil and gas, wind energy and agriculture production all chased out of the state by the voters in those three counties.)
2..... Cotton acres have doubled twice in the last three years and will again next year. The most profitable crop for 2019 again... for the southern 1/4 of the state. With the 5th Gin being built, the ginning capacity has doubled as well the last year. Many have the choice to raise 200 bushel corn and pump 20 inches of water to gross $800 per acre or raise 3.5 bail cotton and pump 10 inches of water for a gross return of $1260 per acre For those who have already lost the water it is an easy choice.-- or there is no choice.
3 ....... bean acres have gone up for three years now.... as they take the place of corn or milo on dry land as well as limited irrigation. And will rotate well with wheat as the water and cash flow diminishes . Yields will be limited by climate and rotations to keep the ground in place.
4 ------- the monopoly creation that congress so dearly loves to generate through regulation and taxing the rich doners in ways they will never have to pay, while casterating the other 95% with ever increasing taxes.----is not going to stop.... so fertilizer, equipment, labor --- most expenses will not go down and will limit acres of corn especially on the fringe or marginal ground. Not as long as the chemical companies control the seed market with congressional help.
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Media........ it is a tough time. Watching a segment of our economy that has had the respect of the world from the 1930's to the 1990's loose relevance and self destruct. They represent a segment of the US baby boomer generation that grew to hate as teenagers protesting and now in their 70's are still hating and protesting from an editors desk or a teachers podium. They want to see an ag collapse, or a financial collapse, or just a tragedy they can exploit to further a career. ------media is probably one the first private economic groups to be the victims of technology. It is just too easy to read a column or a report on an event and imediately find film of it or information on or a direct transcript of the event.... or texts or emails or another reporters microphone that was not censored to provide clarity and ........ provide verification of the "spinning" or "slant" creation..... We are a society gloriously out of control..... if we choose to be out of their control.
There won't be an ag. collapse.... But there will be a triming of the parasites that live off of agriculture.
