The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

April 13, 2007

Corn becomes crop of choice

By Patrick W. Connelly

MERCER COUNTY — As prices of corn continue to rise this spring, more and more farmers are expected to bypass other crops to concentrate on cashing in with their fall harvests.

“It makes sense to plant more of something that will be worth more come fall,” said Dale Brown, a Fairview Township farmer.

With the demand for corn so high, American farmers are expected to plant more than 90.5 million acres of corn this season, according to the Department of Agriculture.

It would be the most corn planted in about 50 years, experts predict. They say the demand for ethanol has made field corn prices increase.

The temperature fluctuation has put Mercer County corn-growers and other western Pennsylvania farmers a few steps behind farmers in warmer areas of the country.

A warmer April with steady temperatures in the high 60s or 70s would help warm the ground and could help farmers get their land seeded a few weeks earlier.

Corn prices could fall around harvest time because of a surplus if farmers plant as predicted. The sooner farmers harvest their corn, the more value their crop will have.

“It’s easy to sell regardless of price,” Brown said. He said he can begin selling corn as early as August if spring weather cooperates and he can get his fields seeded early.

Corn is already the leading crop in the county, according to City-Data.com. About 24,600 county acres grew corn in 2005, the study said.

In addition to field corn, Brown said he’ll plant plenty of sweet corn. “Mercer County people love corn,” Brown said, which is one of the reasons he plans to devote at least 12 acres to the crop this season.

Brown said he and other farmers get together and sell their corn around the county to hundreds of people ready to bite into a juicy ear.

The farmer said some years he’s been able to sell his whole harvest before Labor Day.

An increase in corn growth could play a role in the prices of other crops come harvest time.

If farmers plant as much corn as expected, Americans could see a rise in prices for other crops like soybeans because there’ll be less to harvest.

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