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Eastern South Dakota farmer reacts to USDA’s larger-than-expected corn production numbers

A farmer from eastern South Dakota says he’s surprised to see the larger-than-expected corn crop in the USDA’s latest supply and demand report.

Reid Jensen tells Brownfield…

“We were kind of waiting for this report, hoping that there might be a bump in prices, but obviously it went the other way.”

USDA says South Dakota was one state with increased corn production this fall, with 240,000 more acres harvested. Jensen says it was a good harvest.

“I personally had the best yields I’ve ever had, so that’s been offsetting some of the lower prices, which has helped a lot.”

Jensen says he has been marketing more soybeans than corn due to storage concerns.

“I think we’re just gonna have to be patient here and and hopefully we can get rid of some of this corn and create some more demand.

Jensen says more demand can be created through new trade deals or mandating higher ethanol blends. And he’s been optimistic to hear positive news from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Trump administration while at the American Farm Bureau Convention this week.

Jensen is the vice president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau.