Oakes, North Dakota – Drew Courtney, the North Dakota Corn Growers Association Secretary and Treasurer, reports on corn harvest 2021.
“Most guys are touching that halfway point, maybe a little over in our area.” Drew and his family farm south of Oakes. “We’ve had some decent weather except for about a week and a half ago when everyone received anywhere from five to six inches of rain. That set everyone back a little bit, but no one is going to complain about starting to build some subsoil for next year- considering that’s what got us mostly through this year. After this little system comes through on Wednesday, I think you’ll see a lot of combines firing back up again and maybe getting done a little bit before we have in the past years. Things are looking good.”
He also reports 99 percent of the beans are off in the area. Courtney is pleasantly surprised what they got considering the year, on yield for both corn and beans south of Oakes.
This week USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported corn grower survey findings that North Dakota corn conditions rated 15 percent very poor, 31 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 14 percent good, and 1 percent excellent. Corn mature was 97 percent, near 96 percent last year, and ahead of 85 percent average. Harvested was 42 percent, behind 51 percent last year, but well ahead of 21 percent average.
NASS reported for the week ending October 17, 2021, there were 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork in North Dakota. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 22 percent very short, 29 percent short, 44 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 29 percent very short, 32 percent short, 38 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.
North Dakota is expected to produce about 413 million bushels of corn this year on 3.82 million acres with a 108 bushel per acre average yield across the state. Over half of the state’s corn is used for ethanol.
The North Dakota Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) is the farmer-led organization focusing on policy that impacts North Dakota corn producers. The NDCGA consists of fourteen growers from seven districts along with two at-large directors and three industry representatives. The NDCGA works to grow a healthy, profitable business climate for northern corn.
