Commodity Classic 2017: Growers’ Three Wishes
March 6, 2017 
The takeaway from growers at this year’s Commodity Classic in San Antonio, TX, was simple – make more money while spending less, and pray for better days ahead.
Last week, I had the chance to attend the annual Commodity Classic show in San Antonio, TX. Drawing some 10,000 agricultural participants, the Classic is a great place to gauge how the upcoming growing season might look because it takes place in early March.
At the event, I was asked several times by attendees what my “read” was on the agricultural marketplace. In fact, one visitor wanted me to “play genie,” so to speak. “What three wishes do you think growers want from their 2017?” I was asked.
Although no one would ever mistake me for Barbara Eden in her heyday (and if you don’t get this reference to 1960s television, please don’t let me know!), I gave it my best shot. “No. 1, growers want to make more money than they did in 2016. No. 2, they want to spend less money than they did in 2016.”
Loading ...“And No. 3?” asked the wish-questioner. “No. 3, they want to know when they can stop worrying about having to make wishes Nos. 1 and 2 come true.”
For many of the growers I heard from at the Classic, this means moving away from corn and into soybeans for 2017 – a fact backed up by the recent planting intentions survey released by the USDA. In fact, one Nebraska grower told me he expects to save approximately $3 million in crop inputs/water costs this year by moving 100% of his acreage to soybeans from corn. “I lost money in 2016 doing corn and soybeans, so I’m hopeful this move will put my bottom line back in order,” he said.
It will be interesting to see just how many other growers around the country attempt to make their money wishes in 2017 come true by rubbing soybean-fed lamps as well.
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