As Farmers Grow Abundant Crop, Need for Market Growth Continues

The corn crop condition improved by slight margins according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Report released today. With 73 percent of the crop rated good or excellent (as of August 24), corn maturation remains on-pace overall while quality continues to far surpass that seen in 2013, when only 59 percent remained in good-to-excellent condition at this time.

"As harvest draws closer, the crop quality reports remain impressively strong," said NCGA President Martin Barbre, a farmer in Illinois. "Yet, corn farmers continue to see a decline in the price that will be paid for their potentially record crop. For some, current market conditions could result in prices possibly below that of production. We have done the work in the fields; we must now do work to build markets. We must speak up and make sure that the government does not take any action on our behalf to further jeopardize our markets or increase our cost of production."

Crop quality reports increased only slightly, with corn rated good adding one point and corn rated poor dropping one over the past week.

The crop progress report also tracks the stages of corn crop growth, with 83 percent in the dough stage and 35 percent dented, compared to a five-year average of 78 and 43 percent, respectively.

Click here for the whole report on crop progress.