To Be Ready for the future, you need all the best tools at your disposal: the best equipment, the best technology and the best seed, among other things. Reports of possible seed shortages for the coming season have created discussion in agriculture circles. Are the reports real, or are they exaggerated? What do you think?
A January 5, 2012, Wall Street Journal article, “Corn Seed Shortage Sows Farm Belt Woes”, has spurred even more interest. Author Ian Berry writes, “By some estimates, U.S. production of corn seed was down 25% to 50% ahead of this planting season. Output of corn seed, which is grown from specialized plants, was sliced by drought conditions across the Midwest and the Great Plains last year.”
Purportedly, farmers were scrambling last fall to order seed because seed companies were telling their representatives they weren’t going to invest in winter production. Whether or not that’s true, not all farmers have been able to purchase the varieties they want.
On January 6, 2012, Brownfield’s Ken Anderson, posted an article “Conflicting Reports on Seed Corn Shortage”, which reports that Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred have indicated there is plenty of seed for their customer-farmers for the coming crop year. If you bought your seed early, you probably were able to get the varieties you wanted. If you waited, you might not be as lucky, but you’ll still have good varieties from which to choose. Seed genetic technology continues to evolve, meeting the needs of North American farmers and the growing world population.
Regardless of what variety seed you choose, Case IH Early Riser® planters have the unique ability to accurately plant any size seed – from small to large or flat to round seed corn. The revolutionary Advanced Seed Meter vacuum design accurately meters most corn hybrids with a single disk and meter setting. So producers can select the best genetic variety for their fields without worrying about special requests for specific seed sizes that work best with traditional planters. In addition, fewer adjustments are required when changing seed sizes or crops. Visit your local Case IH dealer to learn more.
Did you have trouble getting the seed variety you wanted for the coming season? What were your seed reps telling you about shortages? Let us know!
The whole effort is to get us to buy seed now on the belief that there is a shortage. Its no different then when manufactures tell dealers to get the orders in now or there won’t be anything to purchase. This kind of marketing behavior shows we’ve been buying the same companies far too long. In addition, there’s more than ample evidence suggesting collusion, therefore “Trusts” have been created. Suggest contacting your congressional members to have them take a look at this sort of topic and let others know perhaps then maybe there is a different vendor out there with plenty to sell.