MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) – With fall officially here, farmers are slowly starting to harvest the fruits of a long growing season.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a good year for growing, with consistent heat and rain giving an optimistic outlook on yields.<\/p>\n
But what happens after harvest is complete, is out of their hands.<\/p>\n
Some crops are entering a strong market.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe exports on corn has been well. Ethanol production on corn, been well. Feed usage of corn has been really well. Corn is in a good spot,\u201d Greenseam Director Sam Ziegler said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile other crops are entering a particularly difficult spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur soybean processors are crushing extremely well. Exports are really low. The main one is China. They haven\u2019t bought one vessel of new crop soybeans yet, when normally they have boats lined up for it,\u201d Ziegler said.<\/p>\n
Export markets have been in question all year long, as the Trump administration has spent the year waging tariffs against international trade partners.<\/p>\n
That battle has been in the background for most of the year, but now harvest is about to begin, and farmers may end up being stuck with product that would normally have an eager buyer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s trade relations. We need to open up doors and have fair trade and have customers that are buying our product with the vessels and the rail lined up, and we\u2019re into harvest and we don\u2019t have that,\u201d Ziegler said.<\/p>\n