Harvest is underway in Tama County, led by Corteva’s seed corn harvest at their locations in Toledo, Dysart, and Reinbeck.

Production parent seed soybean harvest has also begun. Both crops harvested seeds that will be used in next year’s commercial grain production. USDA’s September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report was released September 10th, which increased corn supply for the start of the new marketing year, largely driven by the 600,000 additional acres farmers planted.

On the other hand, USDA dropped the soybean supply due to a 400,000 acre decrease in soybeans planted. Yield expectations for corn and soybeans were increased by 1%.

These numbers result in a production increase of both corn and soybeans of just over 5% over 2020 levels. This was enough to drive prices down through the week. As the US looks forward to harvest, Brazil has begun their first planting of the year after their second crop harvest has wrapped up.

In livestock news, a fire interrupted a JBS cattle packing plant in Grand Island, Nebraska. Fortunately, the plant should be able to continue production. The plant has the capacity to slaughter 6,000 cattle a day, according to a daily livestock report from Steiner Consulting Group. Meatpackers slaughter about 120,000 cattle per day nationwide according to Reuters. Disruptions in processing right now are not good as the last major fire in a Kansas packing plant sent supply disruptions into a frenzy.

With harvest season ramping up, be on the lookout for slow moving equipment and vehicles and always be cautious of machinery turning left before you pass as they may not see you in their mirrors. Have a safe and bountiful harvest!

Cordt Holub is a seeds salesman and corn, soybean and cow-calf farmer in Tama County. He is a fifth generation farmer and works with his father, Craig, and brother, Cade Holub near Buckingham, Iowa.