The combines are starting to hit the fields as harvest 2024 begins in western Illinois. Going into harvest, local farmer Ron Moore says he is expecting the area to have a good harvest.
“I’ve walked both corn and soybean fields, and the potential is very high for this area. It’s hard to say exactly how much it’ll be, but I think it’ll be better than last year, which was good around here last year,” says Moore. “Consequently, prices are down, because everybody knows we’re going to have a good crop in the Midwest, and so that is going to make looking world a challenge and how we handle the low prices.”
Moore hopes that farmers will bring in a good crop to help offset some of the low grain prices.
Rob Elliot with Elliot Brothers Seed adds that in some of his seed meetings and seminars, growers are looking optimistic about the potential yields.
“I think we’re setting ourselves up for a monster crop in this area, the potential could be unheard of, that we could get to in some isolated cases,” says Elliot. “Could very well be a record, as they’re talking about, for Illinois, but for us right here in this area, it could be really big.”
With the anticipated harvest, elevators have been moving grain as quickly as they can says Cameron Grain’s Jake Armstrong.
“Just looking out and walking fields with people and just checking stuff out, we’re going to need every inch of storage that we have.”
Armstrong adds that with lower grain prices, it is important to work with merchandisers and grain originators to find opportunities for grain sales.
