South Dakota farmers face down corn and fuel costs

Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, reported on Monday that broken stalks and crop disease are slowing harvest across the state. Producers are dealing with corn that lies flat or tangles in fields, forcing them to reduce combine speeds.

VanderWal noted that a late start to soybean harvest pushed back the beginning of corn harvest. Stalk rot and crown rot caused the downed crop. While modern corn heads can pick up much of the grain, the tangled mess requires operators to work slowly.

“There’s some lying flat, and some of it’s tangled up bad, you have to go really slow,” VanderWal said. Equipment dealers in the region are selling more corn snouts and shafts as machines wear down against the damaged fields.

The state experienced a dry stretch from mid-July through late August in east-central regions. Southeastern areas faced even drier conditions, causing some corn to fail to develop ears. VanderWal expects yields to fall slightly below last year’s levels due to field losses and mold. In the northwest, heavy rain ahead of harvest has left fields muddy, delaying some soybean harvesting.

Financial pressure is building as farmers look toward 2027. Crop prices improved recently but have fallen again. Fertilizer costs are set to rise for the next season, while diesel prices are straining farm budgets.

VanderWal pointed out that fuel prices are currently 60 to 70 percent higher than they were last spring. He described this increase as a major burden for producers already dealing with difficult economics. “Fuel prices right now are 60 to 70 percent higher than they were last spring, and we weren’t counting on that,” he said.

As harvest concludes, farmers are focusing on marketing decisions for the coming year. VanderWal said producers are accustomed to working through tough years despite an uncertain outlook. “Farmers are optimists by nature,” he said. “We’re just going to hang on and start over next year and hope it gets better.” He added, “The only thing we know for sure is that it’ll be different.”