South Dakota farmers who stored wet corn over the winter are having trouble getting it to area elevators to dry because of flooded-out roads this spring.
There was no issue storing the wet corn over the winter because freezing temperatures kept the corn from rotting. However, with temperatures rising, it is important to get the corn out to dry so it does not rot.
“That is a very big concern at this point,” Junior Linthorne, manager of Frederick Farmers Elevator in Frederick told The Grandfork Herald. “Farmers have corn in bins they want to get out before it turns bad. It is crunch time.”
Those farmers who do not have on-farm dryers must transport the wet corn to elevators with dryers, but the current conditions are making this nearly impossible. If the roads are not totally flooded out, the open roads cannot tolerate heavy trucks because the road beds are soggy.
Many farmers have never seen conditions this bad. Michael Elsen said he started farming in 1988 and this is the worst. He can only take his corn in small loads to the elevator.
“If I hadn’t caught mine the other day, in a week or two my corn would have been shot. Everybody has really got to be watching those bins,” he said.
Some farmers are having problems meeting deadlines for some corn sold under contract for specific times, but roads issues should clear up in a few weeks.
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