RICHMOND — This weekend’s frost predicted by the National Weather Service could be the kick off for the 2012 soybean harvest to begin. But it won’t be much to kick about. Because of the recent rains, the area fall soybean bean harvest will likely go from being terrible to merely bad, said Ralph Ferguson of Beachner Grain, Richmond. “Four weeks ago, I thought it was have been worse than terrible,” he said “…It’s not going to be great but there will be a few fields that will make some beans.” Fields that he predicted would produce no more than five bushels an acre if at all, may actually produce 15 to 20 bushels because of the rains, he said. “It’s not going to be good but the bottom line is that it’s going to be a poor fall harvest,” he said. This summer’s drought severely damaged many soybeans and ruined the corn harvest. Ferguson said the Richmond dumped what will probably be the last corn load Thursday. Aflatoxin, a weather-related toxin, has been common in the corn the elevator has received, he said. Although the corn harvest is over, it was probably over a couple of months ago, he said. “It’s already went in the books as pretty sorry in this area,” he said.
Friday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m.
