Higher energy prices may stunt corn crop

Expect to see fewer corn fields this year as rising energy prices ripple through the farm economy.

It is too early to tell if price increases for fertilizer and fuel will cause produce prices to increase, said Tom Sachs of the Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

Ohio farmers who raise field corn will plant 3.15 million acres this spring, the lowest amount in a decade, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field corn is raised to be used in livestock feed, food additives or industrial products.

Nitrogen fertilizers such as anhydrous ammonia, made from natural gas and used to grow corn, cost 22 percent more this year than last, according to Barry Ward, who tracks farming costs for Ohio State University Extension.

“That is one reason corn acreage is decreasing in Ohio and across the Midwest,” Ward said.

Dayton Daily News