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Farmers have short window to be flexible with 2022 plans
An ag economist says this is when farmers can be flexible with cropping plans for 2022.
Chad Hart with Iowa State University tells Brownfield escalating input costs mean crop rotation, soil fertility, and other management considerations are all on the table.
“We still have the ability to choose which acres we put into production for next year. We still have the ability to choose which crops are going to be put out there. How are we going to arrange our enterprises (can still be determined). So that gives farmers maximum flexibility to deal with these costs.”
He says with fertilizer prices more than doubling in some cases, a soil test could really pay off this fall.
“The idea is one of the ways to limit cost is to try to reduce what I need without reducing revenue (by) reducing crop yield. How do you do that? You go out and test (to see) what you need (and) what is required for the farming operation.”
Hart expects farmers to do a lot of “homework” this fall and winter to pencil out the proper moves to deal with higher input costs.
There was a time when the US led the world in food growing techniques. Today, world leaders think it is meaningful to curb carbon-emissions, for a 315-415ppm atmospheric problem, while greenhouses routinely pump CO2 to 1500ppm for effective food growth. Does anyone recognize the food-growing crisis to feed the growing earth population ???