'09 Seed corn stories overheard, it's not moving out?

You guys hear any stories about the big guys not moving a lot of their seed corn out of their warehouses to the dealers yet? Through a guy in trucking, Crow"s, Dekalb or someone apologized to this driver because they didn"t have as much hauling earlier and now as they said they were going to. Apparently whatever is happening doesn"t normally happen. I"ve heard people are waiting till later to order, banks won"t loan some guys the money for seed because of what"s all happening, etc. Of course, this might all be just stories passed around the diner also.

Had mine paid for in Nov. Should be delivered in a couple weeks. Farming may change a little the next couple years. I know of one farmer north a few miles of me, that was told by "friends" and bankers and such to get big or get out. Well, he went big alright. Like many others he passed on $5 corn hoping for $8 corn this winter. Even bought a "few" farms and added storage. Well, heard last week he is going broke. Even selling all grain at todays prices he wont be able to make his notes. It is kind of sad, he survived for many, many years as a smaller farmer with a happilly livable income and was gaining wealth. My father in law just hauled out a herd of dairy cattle for a guy only 36 years old because he said every day he milked he was losing money that he didnt have. When prices were high rather than bank the cash for the downtrend, he decided he needed a new truck, and quite a few other things to "appear" like a bigtime producer. It"s sad also. I hope every one out there the best of luck in "09. All my expenses for the year are prepaid with out loans except for the multi peril. Good feeling, as long as I dont feel too low out there in my 1969 Oliver while the $250,000 GPS guided tractors roll by pointing at me. If so, I"ll paint it red and feel better! Bless you all.

I have been wondering about the price of seed corn being $200.oo for a 50 pound bag, is this true? I am thinking that the seed is a hybred and that you can"t use the corn you harvest to re-plant, that sounds to me like big industry has the farmer over a barrel, what ever happened to the good old days when a farmer could plant his own seed. I think that the farmers are the heart of this country and they are getting shafted more and more every day.
Tom

Dad was at the FSA office a couple weeks ago and although it hasn't been officially announced yet, they are preparing for the upcoming "farm crisis." They predict the official announcement will come in another 5-6 months.

I'm wondering if the current banking situation should be a good roll model for those who want to "go big." Most of the little banks are healthy and doing well since being small doesn't lend itself to the inefficiencies of the larger institutions.

Even though they are predicting prices to be in the hole, I just don't know anymore. If the big guys controlling the hedge funds decide to throw some money around, we could see $9 corn this year. On the flip side, if "investors" pull out of commodities, corn could be $1.50. I'm not sure I'm like being the puppet in the hand of the greedy. It seems the game has changed for farmers.

Nobody's making the farmer plant hybrid seeds; there are still some open pollinated varieties available; when farmers used to grow them, they averaged 30 or so bushels per acre.......around 'here', though I'm sure with today's fertilizers, they would to better.

The companys all want you to order early and pay early and then they are delivering later and later each year. Last year most of my seed did not show up untill after i started.

As seed dealers, we've seen a lot of customers holding off on ordering this year due to financial concerns & high input costs. Dairy farmers are really feeling the pinch with low prices. We took delivery of the 1st semi load in early March, and another semi load came today. Our company has really been pushing the dealers to take delivery and order extra inventory just so they can get seed delivered on time.

Don't know. I picked up my Fielders Choice from the distribution point yesterday. Seems like it's a little earlier than last year.

Wish I had a Dollar for every time some 'expert' told me I had to keep up with 'The Times' and the ones that follow the 'experts' advice are usually the first to go bankrupt.Still farming with a 1650 Ollie diesel

Had all of mine delivered this week. Seed corn from 2 different companies. Delivered within a few days of each other.

You better atleast put some Cockshutt decals on it then... It'd be a shame for it to be red for any other reason.

On the topic more, I don't think Dad ordered any seed yet. Oats we'll clean our own and plant, and the rest we'll have to buy. Found that it pays to buy the better quality alfalfa seed. The cheaper stuff just doesn't last as many years.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Boy you hit a sore spot, I get alot of bull about me using Olivers and Whites, because I was raised on green and worked with green for twenty years but when I went on my own I couldn't afford the big green, nad I don't regret ever what I run. I was told from a local Pioneer dealer there's plenty of seed available, but I'm starting to think Pioneer is like the big green. High and mighty! I plant alot of Pioneer alfalfa and it is a good product but it's 5.50 a pound, it better be a good product! The guy I used to work for out of school is now farming 3500 acres he bought a new planter that shuts off the point rows when they cross. He doesn't seem to be worried about anything as far as seed goes, he's a Mycrogen dealer, and he get's 750,000 a year from the government. So why to worry? If the gov stops farm payments, which I doubt, will guys like these take a fall, this man has millions borrowed or so he says. I get 1300 a year in gov payments and wonder why I even mess with it. Now the gov wants me to buy crop ins at 750 a year for disaster payments. Worth it?!

Retail Seed price for traited products is easily in the $200 range, some up maybe getting up around $300, and I wouldn"t be surprised to see prices 2x w/in the next few years, especially as some of the new technologies come to market. There are areas where this may not pencil out for the premo products, but for the top of the line seed, expect to pay for the performance.

BTW, corn seed is no longer sold in 50# units, I"m not sure when it started, but corn seed has been sold as an 80,000 kernel unit for many years.

You are correct however, most corn seed sold today is a hybrid. Not only will it not "breed true" meaning that if you keep the seed, you won"t get what you planted the first time, but also keep in mind that many varieties are protected by the PVP Act. Keeping back seed of these varieties could be a violation of a Federal Seed Patent Law, and could get a fellow in deep trouble.

Hybrid seed has been marketed since the "50"s at least, so this is nothing new. In order to accomplish the things that growers need to do to feed the world, the industry continues to look for higher performing products. Open Pollinated and landrace populations cannot keep pace with modern single cross elite lines.

Farmers are the heart of this country, with out agriculture this country would be in a dire position, even the world. Right now there are alot of dollars being invested with the goal of making a farmer more money per acre. Those companies that are making that investment are expecting to get paid back for their efforts. Apparently they see a future in it, as they continue to spend money, I see news articles everyday about Pioneer, Dow, Bayer and Monsanto all making big deals looking to come up with the next "big thing". Also, apparently some farmers see the value in those things as they continue to purchase.

I would challenge you any day of the week, 1 acre side by side, to take out the land variable, I farm it my way with traited hybrid corn, and fertilizers, you farm it yours with OP saved seed, and what ever you want for fert, and we"ll see who wins. I"ll agree, you won"t spend as much, but if the land cost is the same, I cannot afford to give up any yield just to save on the front side. I need as much corn off of every acre to capture the biggest return on my land and equipment capital investment, maybe you have a different situation, or maybe just trying to stir the pot on a public forum, I don"t know, we"re all welcome to our own opinions.

We can wave at each other in our old, reliable, paid for tractors and pickups!!!!!! It felt good to hang zeros on the bank notes.


Haven't those guys with autosteer GPS ever watched the Terminator movies? When the tractors decide they don't need us any more, what will we do?

(quoted from post at 14:03:11 03/20/09) You guys hear any stories about the big guys not moving a lot of their seed corn out of their warehouses to the dealers yet? Through a guy in trucking, Crow"s, Dekalb or someone apologized to this driver because they didn"t have as much hauling earlier and now as they said they were going to. Apparently whatever is happening doesn"t normally happen. I"ve heard people are waiting till later to order, banks won"t loan some guys the money for seed because of what"s all happening, etc. Of course, this might all be just stories passed around the diner also.

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I dont know about that I work for a big seed plant that bags over 1 million bags a season. We have been shipping corn as fast as we can to reps for the last 5 months.

including some of the companies you mentioned

Heard from a dealer that he had all but 2-3 numbers delivered a couple weeks ago already to his shed.

Perhaps less has been ordered by farmers, is that what you mean? I think the seed cos are delivering what is ordered as normal.

--->Paul

It is certainly possible to spend over $200 for a 80,000 kernel bag of hybrid seed corn, with multiple advantageous traits. That will plant a bit under 3 acres. Yes, hybrid corn is not open-pollinated, so it has to be purchased each year. OP is still available, but produces very little yield, and no real farmer uses it! Where have you been since ....1940?...when hybrids came out?

Triumph 80,000 kernel bag $138.