By Bonnie Coblentz
MSU Extension Service

Corn and rice harvests wrapped up for Mississippi fields a bit ahead of schedule, helped by the ideal weather leading up to the harvest window.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated corn harvest was 96% complete by Sept. 22, 2024. This put harvest ahead of the five-year average, which typically has corn 89% harvested by that date.

USDA estimated rice was 87% harvested by Sept. 22, 2024, well ahead of the five-year average of 67% harvested by late September. Harvests for both crops were helped by five days of weather suitable for field work leading up to that date.

Erick Larson, corn specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said hot, dry weather during August and early September promoted an extremely quick and efficient corn harvest this year.

“Mississippi’s corn yield results vary widely depending primarily on irrigation capability,” Larson said. “The summer’s drought stressed dryland corn during key reproductive stages, which limited productivity considerably.”

Spring rainfall delayed much north Mississippi corn planting until late April, and that increased those acres’ vulnerability to summer drought. Much of the Delta region and other irrigated acreage was planted in early April. This allowed the corn to pollinate and benefit from cool, favorable weather the first three weeks of June.

“Corn yields were very modest across most of the dryland acreage this year,” he said. “Corn grown where supplemental irrigation was available generally produced very well.”

Hurricane Helene and associated wind and rain missed the state when it made landfall on Sept. 26, but Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana on Sept. 11 and trekked through parts of the state as a tropical storm. That storm caused minimal trouble for Mississippi growers.

“While the wind may have caused some lodging of unharvested corn, I suspect soybeans and cotton may potentially sustain more damage associated with recent storms and rain,” Larson said.

Mississippi growers harvested an estimated 580,000 acres of corn this year, down from 790,000 acres harvested in 2023. In the September Crop Production report, USDA estimates Mississippi corn yields to be 190 bushels per acre, up from 181 bushels an acre harvested in 2023.

“Considering dryland corn yields are generally considerably lower this year, that will be difficult to achieve,” Larson said of the yield estimate.

Will Maples, Extension agricultural economist, said December corn futures have seen a small rally since trading around $4 per bushel most of the summer.

“The contract averaged $4.14 for the week ending Sept. 27, compared to $4.81 for the same week the year before,” Maples said. “The outlook for a large crop nationally continues to weigh on market prices.”

USDA has increased expected production to 15.2 billion bushels, with ending stocks at 2.1 billion bushels. USDA projects the average farm price at $4.10 per bushel for 2024, compared to $4.65 last year.

The state’s harvested rice acreage was at 156,000 acres, up from the 120,000 harvested in 2023. Mississippi is No. 6 in the nation in rice production, with Bolivar and Tunica counties having the most rice acreage in the state.

Laura Jane Giaccaglia, Extension agent in Bolivar County, said the rice harvest went well this year.

“For the most part, we’ve been dry, and harvest has gone well showing pretty good yields,” Giaccaglia said. “Some of the later rice might be affected by recent rains, which delayed harvest a bit.”

Maples said rice, like other commodities, has also seen a deterioration in commodity prices this year.

“USDA projects the average long grain rice price at $14.50 per hundredweight for 2024, compared to $15.90 per hundredweight last year,” Maples said. “Long-grain rice is facing higher supplies, with USDA projecting an 8% increase in production compared to last year.

“This is leading to increased ending stocks, which are projected at 27.1 million hundredweight,” he said.

USDA estimated in the September Crop Production report that Mississippi rice is expected to yield 7,500 pounds per acre, compared to 7,470 pounds per acre harvested last year.