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With lower crop production, a Nebraska farmer is reevaluating risk management plans for 2023

A Northeast Nebraska farmer says she’s firming up risk management plans as she anticipates even more uncertainty in 2023.

Anne Meis tells Brownfield prolonged drought has cut dryland corn yields nearly in half. “Just tightening up because our dryland yields aren’t out there this year.  We’ll have a reduction on what we can bring into the bin.”

She says Mother Nature has taken its toll on crops. “There was no moisture out there and that field yielded 25 bushels an acre. We took out another dryland corn field and that one was making 100 bushel an acre.  That one was testing 17 to 19 percent moisture.”

She tells Brownfield she hopes that soybeans are better off. “We’re hoping these beans somehow held on.  We had some rains in June and early July.  We had some here at the end of August.  We don’t know what the beans will be like, but we’re hopeful.”

Meis says the cost and availability of fertilizer is another concern but isn’t willing to sacrifice fertility. “We’re not willing to cut back in any significant way year-to-year.  We feel that we have a good plan going forward.  We definitely are fine-tuning our fertilizer application every year with precision ag.”

With the recent increase in interest rates, she says purchasing farm equipment might create unnecessary risk. “We’re in line for some big equipment, but we’re holding out. Just seeing what’s out there.  We’re being conservative with any purchases.”

She says she started harvest last week.