Record rains drown corn, soybean crops

Shelby County farmer Ken Simpson said the weather has played so many tricks on his corn and soybeans recently that despite torrential rains that have flooded his fields this year, he's still hoping for the best.

"We got 10 inches in June, but it's still too early to tell what the damage could be," said the owner of the 700-acre Simpson Farms near Morristown. "If we go 10 days without any rain the loss might not be too bad."

But some crops — particularly in the northern part of the state — already have been lost to June's record-setting rainfall.

Experts at the Purdue University Agriculture Extension estimate that reductions in corn and soybean production from last month's rains already top $486 million statewide this year. About 80 percent of the losses statewide are covered by crop insurance

Indiana set a record for rain in the month, with an average of 9 inches at 200 recording stations, more than twice the normal level of 4.2 inches.

As much as 18 inches fell in some portions of northern Indiana, said associate state climatologist Ken Scheeringa.

Some central Indiana farmers in Johnson and Shelby counties recorded seven to 10 inches of rain.

"Flooding? Drowning might be the more accurate term," said Scott Gabbard, the Shelby County Extension agricultural educator. "We definitely had a loss this year. The only question is if it will be a devastating loss or a 'ho hum, another bad year' loss."

Gabbard said the rains were so spotty and sporadic that crops in the southern part of Shelby County were doing as well as they had in years while some in the northern county are badly flooded.

Chris Hurt, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, said 48 percent of the state's corn is in good or excellent condition while 21 percent is in poor or very poor shape, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly crop progress report.

Last year, which was a very good year for corn, 75 percent was in excellent or good shape at this time

For soybeans, 46 percent is in excellent or good condition, compared to 71 percent last year.

"Some crops look very good but others are just a loss," Hurt said. "Clearly, for farms near river bottoms and low lying land that ponds it is too late because those crops have been under water for a week or more."

Rob Richards, proprietor of the 274-acre Indy Family Farms, Greenwood, said the rain saturated the soil and you can see it pooling in farms across the region.

"You worry about the low spots," he said, adding that his corn was in better shape than the soybeans.

Last week, Gov. Mike Pence met with farmers in Cass and Jasper counties to assess their damage.

To be eligible for a state disaster declaration, a county must show that losses from a single crop exceed 30 percent. Julia Wickard, state executive director of the Farm Services Agency, said officials are still collecting data and would have a better idea if any reached the 30 percent threshold by the end of the week.

For Simpson, this growing season continues an unpredictable trend. Last year, corn farmers had record yields, so high in fact, that oversupply kept prices low — but 2012 was a record -setting drought.

"In 2012, my corn averaged 102 bushels an acre," he said. "Last year it was 220."

Simpson and other farmers wouldn't project what their crop reductions might be because so much depends on how much rain is left to fall.

"Every year is an adventure," he said.

Scheeringa said higher than normal amounts of rainfall are expected in July.

"It will depend on how much more than normal," Scheeringa said. The good news for farmers, he said, was that temperatures are expected to be cooler than normal, which should depress rainfall.

"But it's going to start raining again (Tuesday) in much of the state and that's going to last until at least Friday," Scheeringa said.

Call Star reporter John Tuohy at 317 444-6418 and follow on Twitter at john_tuohy.