Rain has corn farmers weighing options
Columbus Dispatch – With persistent rain and wet conditions delaying planting, corn growers statewide are weighing whether to plant soybeans instead or cash in on their crop insurance.
Although some areas of the state saw sunshine and warm weather over the weekend, the ground was still too wet for most farmers to plant corn, said Dwayne Siekman, CEO of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association.
“This pushes planting to a very narrow window,” he said. “Farmers can still plant in the end of May and early June, but they are still worried about more rain.”
Fred Yoder, in fact, is praying for the rain to stop long enough for his fields to dry.
The Plain City corn farmer hasn’t gotten any corn into the ground of his 1,500-acre farm this season.
“In my 38 years of planting, I’ve never not had anything planted by this time of year,” said Yoder, a past president of the Ohio Corn Growers Association.
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Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio has weighed in on the issue, advising affected growers to contact their insurance company “to ensure that they receive the maximum prevented-planting payment available.”
