Ohio farmers get early start on crops amid concerns

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — While Ohio farmers are getting an
earlier than usual start to spring planting thanks to a mild and
relatively dry winter, they still have some weather-related concerns.
Some
worry about the lack of colder temperatures that help control insects,
The Columbus Dispatch reported (http://bit.ly/Hxr9De).
"Most farmers prefer to have a nice hard freeze," said farmer Brent
Hostetler of Plain City in central Ohio.
Allan Reid, a seed dealer in Fairfield County, worries there won’t be adequate rain
this spring and summer.
"The
weather patterns have just been unusual, and at some point, you get a
little nervous wondering if it’s going to rain and when it’s going to
rain," said Reid, Ruff Seed Farms general manager.
Heavy rains delayed most of last year’s planting until June.
As
of Monday, farmers had planted 2 percent of Ohio’s corn and 42 percent
of its oats, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Last year
at this time, farmers had planted no corn and only 4 percent of Ohio’s
oats.
"In the big scope of things, the early spring and the warm
weather has been a blessing," said Stan Smith, a Fairfield County farmer
who also works in the county’s Ohio State University Extension office.
Corn
growers nationwide intend to plant 95.9 million acres, up 4 percent
from last year and the highest since the 1930s, according a survey the
Agriculture Department released in March. Ohio corn growers expect to
plant 3.8 million acres, up 12 percent from last year.
Strong demand is linked to the predicted production increase, with the price per
bushel of corn remaining above $6.
The
planned soybean acreage nationwide is 73.9 million acres, down 1
percent, but Ohio soybean growers plan 4.6 million acres, the same as
last year.
While early indicators generally are positive overall,
"that won’t mean much if there is extreme weather over the next few
months," said Barry Ward, an agricultural economist at Ohio State
University.
Fruit growers don’t want any more cold temperatures
this spring. Apple growers say their crop is at a delicate state this
year, with trees blooming three to four weeks early.
"If it gets
into the low 20s, there may not be an apple crop," said Bill Dodd, an
apple farmer in northeast Ohio and president of the Ohio Fruit Growers
Association.
Forty percent of Ohio’s apples and 52 percent of its
peaches were blooming as of Monday, compared to none last year,
according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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