YIELDS UP, PRICES NOT AS FARMERS REAP CROPS

Bumper crops and lower prices might be in prospect for corn and soybean farmers this year.

About the only redeeming effect of last year's flooding was the higher prices farmers in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois got for the little corn and soybeans they were able to harvest.

As commodities markets go, this year the situation is reversed, with high yields and lower grain prices. But most farmers aren't complaining.

"I would rather have a good grain crop and sell at lower prices than have a bad crop with small yields which sell for more money," said Charles Hinkebein, who farms a few miles south of Cape Girardeau.

Hinkebein is cutting his first soybeans this week and already has harvested about two-thirds of his corn crop.

"We've had some good corn yields," said Hinkebein, who has about 330 acres of the golden grain.

Corns that was irrigated this year typically is producing yields of 175 to more than 200 bushels an acre. Non-irrigated fields weren't quite as productive, but still averaged more than 100 bushels an acre.

Hinkebein said the unirrigated crop suffered from dry conditions this summer.

"We had only 1.2 inches of rain from the last week of April to the first of August," he said.

Still, Hinkebein is happy with early harvesting.

"Things are a lot better this year," he said. "Last year, we averaged only 75 bushels an acre overall. We planted all of our land in 1993, but seep water hurt us. We had water standing in some of our fields, which cut down on yields."

Corn prices a year ago went as high as $3 a bushel. Farmers received from $2.15 to $2.30 from early harvests this year, and when the harvest hit full stride last week, prices notched down 10 to 15 cents a bushel.

The United States Agriculture Department reported this month that soybeans might drop about $1.20 a bushel, to $5.70.

"Everything looks good for corn and soybeans this year," said Terry Birk of the Cape County Agriculture Stablization and Conservation Service office. "We're expecting good yields this year."

More than 15 percent of Missouri's corn crop has been harvested, most of it in the southeastern part of the state area, where more than 50 percent of the corn crop has been taken from the fields.

"We don't have a report on yield averages from Cape County, but they're much better this year than last," said Birk.

The corn harvest is winding down in the Stoddard County area.

"They're pretty far along with both corn and sorghum," said Steve Morrison of the Stoddard ASCS office at Bloomfield. "And a few farmers have already started with the rice harvest."

Morrison added that most reports have reflected good yields of all the grains.

Corn farmers in Missouri are expected to harvest 2.3 million acres this fall, up 24 percent from a year ago. The statewide yield is expected to average about 111 bushels per acre, up 21 acres from the 1993 average.

Corn acreage planted in Southeast Missouri is up about 8,000 acres, to 325,000 acres. Yields are expected to average about 137 bushels per acre.

Soybean production could be even better. The Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service predicts soybean production at more than 150 million bushels, which is up 28 percent over a year ago.

Soybean acreage also is up 28 percent from year ago, at 4.5 million acres, compared to 3.5 million acres last year.

Yields in the southeast area are expected to be among the best in the state, at 34 bushels per acre. About 950,000 acres of soybeans will be harvested in the southeast region, 9,000 acres more than in 1993.

The Illinois corn harvest for this year is forecast at 1.6 billion bushels, 23 percent more than last year and near the 1992 record of 1.65 billion bushels.

An estimated 11.5 million acres will be harvested with an expected yield of 138 bushels per acre.

Illinois will be second only to Iowa in corn and soybean production this year, predicts the USDA.

Illinois usually leads the nation in corn and soybeans, but Iowa's corn harvest for 1994 is being projected at 1.79 billion acres. The Iowa soybean harvest is forecast at 407.1 million bushes, which tops the expected Illinois harvest, at 404.2 million bushes.

Nationwide, corn and soybean acreage and yields are expected to top last year's totals. U.S. corn production is expected to total 9.2 billion bushels, 46 percent above the 1993 level. Yields are expected at 129 bushels an acre, up 28.3 bushes per acre more than last year. More than 71 million acres will be harvested, up from 61 million acres a year ago.

U.S. soybean growers are expected to harvest a record 2.32 billion bushels. The previous record of 2.2 billion bushels was set in 1992. The forecast calls for a record yield of 38.2 bushels per acre up form 37.6 during the record year of 1992. Soybean acreage is up significantly form last year, when 117.1 million was harvested. More than 149 million bushels will be harvested this year.