As Leflore County farmers are winding down their harvesting operations, there remains uncertainty about the prices they’ll receive for their crops.
Changes in the federal 2014 Farm Bill have altered the way cotton acres — known by farmers as the cotton base — and the non-cotton crops that are now planted on those fields are valued.
“The question is how are we going to apply those generic bases,” said farmer Erle West Barham.
Even with harvesting almost completed, farmers are still in the dark about how the generic base will be applied, he said: “When we get the money, we’ll see how it is applied.”
Dr. Larry Falconer, an economist with the Delta Research and Extension Center of Stoneville, said Washington removed cotton as a Title I commodity as part of the Farm Bill’s renewal. It has not set prices for crops planted on former cotton acres. Those numbers could come later this month.
This year, farmers are facing the prospect of lower yields and lower prices for the crops they harvest, said Andy Braswell Sr., an agent with the Leflore County Extension Service.
“It’s kind of putting everybody in a precarious situation,” he said.
Braswell estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the county’s cotton crop has been harvested.
He estimated that cotton yields are down by 100 pounds per acre, soybean yields have dropped from 10 to 15 bushels per acre and corn yields are off by as much as 10 to 20 bushels per acre.
Barham said his cotton yields are average this year. That was due in part to the wet spring, which pushed planting back.
He is currently harvesting peanuts, which must dry above ground before they can be harvested.
Barham said the dynamics of being a farmer haven’t changed.
“In the past, farmers have always understood, if they don’t make a good crop, they wouldn’t make any money,” he said.
Now, waiting on Washington’s upcoming ruling on commodity prices is yet another reason for concern.
“The uncertainty of Mother Nature is a given. The uncertainties of Washington are not,” Barham said.
•Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
