Crops abandoned: Dropping crops from rotation not just about profitability

by

Cash may be king, but for farmers who stop growing a certain crop, the decision is not based on profitability alone.

Recently on social media, I asked farmers what crop they have eliminated from their rotation and why. The reasons for dropping certain crop types are as varied as the crops themselves. From durum, to peas, to barley, to soybeans, it seems no crop has won every farmer’s approval.

Some are sick of storing crop long-term. Some are adjusting acres based on trade disruptions. Others are facing a new or tough-to-manage disease or insect that simply wipes out any chance of profit. That’s the case for canola in many areas of Ontario that battle swede midge, and peas that face aphanomyces infection in the west. Still more feel the chance of hitting a premium just didn’t happen often enough to justify the acres. For others, harvest management was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back.

Want to see all the responses? Click on the tweet below to read the entire thread:  

Many of the factors named certainly do play in to the overall profitability of a crop, of course. But some farmers also mentioned why they continued to grow certain crops or have bumped those acres. For example, a move to fall-seeded crops, or spring cereals helps to deal with additional factors like weed issues and time management.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Categories: Agronomy / Crop Production

Please register to read and comment.

 

Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.

Register