Staff writer
As 2019 ended, many of the county’s elevators had grain piled up or stored in outdoor piles or covered bunkers.
Cooperative Grain and Supply at Hillsboro has 421,000 bushels of wheat in an outside bunker and more in flat storage in Hillsboro, Lehigh, and Canton.
Grain coordinator Dick Tippin said the worldwide supply of wheat is at a record level, so there is no demand. Wheat is grown all over the world.
“Other countries can get wheat from sources closer to them for less transportation cost,” he said, “but there is some optimism for improvement.”
USDA estimates world wheat production for 2019 to 2020 at 765 million tons compared to last year’s 731 million, an increase of 4 percent.
All of the coop’s grain is marketed through Team Marketing Alliance of Moundridge.
Agri Trails Coop at Tampa has more than 600,000 bushels of corn in a bunker.
“We took in more than the elevator could hold,” manager Roger Will said.
He said most of the corn is farmer owned, and farmers are waiting for a better price or holding off on selling until they need the money.
“Some of it could be there for a year, and some could be sold by spring,” Will said.
Lincolnville Agri-Trails Coop has more than 100,000 bushels of milo and 90,000 bushels of corn on the ground and 300,000 to 400,000 bushels of wheat in bunkers.
“It will get shipped eventually,” manager Perry Gutsch said.