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Farmer on “huge effect” of pandemic

A Missouri farmer says the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on his operation is huge. Andy Clay grows corn and soybeans and has a cow-calf operation in central Missouri. He tells Brownfield Ag News, “We sold some feeders last week that we just couldn’t stand to hold onto any longer and that was very painful, losing $300 to $400 dollars a head on those.”

Then Clay says there’s the $3 dollar corn market and $7 dollar soybean market, “It’s kind of hard to get excited about getting the planters rolling.”

Clay, who has about 10 hired hands, was able to get in on the first Paycheck Protection Program, “You know, that was a tremendous help. A low interest loan for a couple of years.”

But Clay tells Brownfield he’s concerned about the uncertainty in the ag stimulus package and says he hopes the recovery from the pandemic is as quick as some people predict.