Who is going to spend allot on this crop!

[SASKFARMER3]

Just looking at latest prices and now down valuing Canola to $7.50 or less and Oats $1.50 peas $4.00 and Barley 2.5 malt Hrs 4 or less and Durum at 3.3 it leaves basically very little profit with a normal crop. So spending a fortune is not going to happen for this farm in 2010. 24D is ordered plus 3lb canola plus cut rate Puma or what ever none on Barley and no Disease control on Canola or seed treatment on any Cereal. Disease yes for Cereals if its wet again. No top dressing with fert. Manure on 500 acres. Also dropping Decis with Liberty for flee beetles. This should add close to $100,000.00 or Bill then with fert down $150,000.00 thats leaves some nicer room.
This may offend some people but after a day at Farm meeting it seems I am not alone on this. Close to 100 farmers attened and almost all saying the same and all are just plain pst off at experts who really dont know whats going on either. So I am wondering what others are thinking or is it just the EAST Area thats thinking this way.

[charliep]

Was with a marketing club in the N.E. part of Alberta and their main issue was dry soil moisture (top and sub) and the increased risk. Comment was no one has ever lost a crop in March but Mother Nature has to be cooperative in April and May. Drew Lerner (Grain World) indicated this is likely to be another dry/cool spring like 2009.

Not happy with prices but close to liveable/breakeven. Take out the last two years and current crop prices would be at the mid point (cereals) to upper end (oilseeds) of most years in the early to mid 2000's.

[charliep]

Well its good to know that others are cutting production costs which will have a direct impact on prices for the upcoming years.

You only get one chance per year to grow a crop. If something changes along the way and you have not given the crop as good a chance as you can, you lose out.

I could fully understand if you commented on cutting costs relating to an overhead section - Maybe not reinvesting in equipment for one more year, realigning loans to take adavantage of lower interest rates, something like that.

As a rule on our farm, you don't cut production costs - maybe different in your area because of moisture or other issues.

Fertilizer has all been applied/purchased at less that 30c a pound. We have planned to use more than ever to offset a couple great production years that have consumed any reserve that may have been there. Our budgets include all the necessary things that may occur and if its not required at that time (ex Midge, rovral flow etc), great, a cost savings will be realized at that time.

[furrowtickler]

Due to moisture conditions and crop prices our fert will be down and may topdress if conditions improve. We plan to still grow the best crop we can just spreading out risk if needed. Alot can happen between now and June 30th, but our foot is off the throtle at this time.

[wade]

I asked one of my neighbors what he was gonna grow. He said, " mostly barley cause my cost is the least so I expect to lose the least on it compared to anything else!"

[charliep]

I hope everyone keeps economic payback in mind when making decisions as indicated by SK99. With my luck in life, the year I backed off inputs too much would be the year summer moisture was perfect/a perfect harvest and the US had a drought.

[SASKFARMER3]

I'm not cutting my fertilizer since its down huge from last year in cost. But what I am cutting out is BS extras like seed treatment for Durum. Seed 3 bushels and who cares which one don't survive. I have lots since the CWB wont take it all and is forcing me to store it. Also were not in a midge area so another gone. 24D vs Refine. Cost saving. Etc etc. add it up still close to same as usual or same and extras are gone.

[sawfly]

same boat as others here , dry, snow gone no runoff it took 3 days.
was thinking of upping barley ,to cut costs and outgrow grasshoppers.
Nh3 pre bought , may as well put it down and hope for best.

[mbratrud]

Need big yields to make up for crappy price will be shooting for 5% better than last year. We always try to grow the best crop we can, I think you have to.

[mbratrud]

I agree with SF3 though, cut the crap like spending $3 a bushel to have someone come and innoculate my lentils, when I can do it for $1.

[JACKFLASH]

Sawfly you read the last Kostal e-mail about taking more chance on barley. I can tell you this canada malt had one day pricing new crop barley, one day, good luck.