Weather affects organic grain production, too; imports to escalate

This year’s late spring had an impact on conventional commodity production, but Mercaris, a market research company specializing in organic and non-GMO crops, announced Wednesday that there has been a significant drop in organic corn and soybean production for 2019.

The fall 2019 “Mercaris Organic Commodities Outlook” predicts a 12 percent year-over-year decline in organic corn production and a 14 percent decline in organic soybean production due to challenges during spring planting.

In the Corn Belt, Mercaris estimates organic wheat production will see a 19 percent decline. However, overall U.S. organic wheat production is predicted to increase 7 percent over 2018, thanks to gains in areas outside of the Corn Belt, namely the High Plains and West regions.

“The industry appears set to see imports escalate over the coming year as organic grain purchasers look to offset reduced domestic production,” Ryan Koory, director of economics at Mercaris, said in a news release.

According to Mercaris, organic livestock production growth is expected to slow but will still see a 1 percent increase overall.

–The Hagstrom Report