By Terry Meagher

KEMPTVILLE — The harvest in the east ranges from bountiful to bloody awful.

Bill Mowatt, owner of Momac Elevators reports corn yields of 160 to 170 bushels an acre in Carleton County. But in Prince Edward and Hastings County the crop is variable, depending on whether the farm received rain or not. Corn yields range from 75 bushels an acre to 160 bushels, says Debbie Walsh, manager of Trenton Grain Elevator. "The quality is excellent, the corn is heavy and moisture level is ranging from 18 per cent and 22 per cent.

The beans are just as variable, ranging from a dismal 15 bushels to 45 bushels.

Both the corn and bean harvest turned out better than expected, says Dexter Harder, manager of Northumberland Grain and Feed. Beans are running between 35 and 42 bushels an acre, he says. But some fields have only yielded 11 bushels an acre.

With the combination of low prices and low yields some farms in the area will be facing bankruptcy, says Lloyd Crowe, a Picton crop farmer and past president of Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.

East of Kemptville is like east of Eden. Eric Metcalfe, manager at MacEwen’s Agricentre, says corn is running between 140 and 180 bushes except on lighter soils while soybeans average between 45 and 55 bushels.

In Dundas, Stan Vandenbosch says there are some minor problems with corn germinating in the cob. But yields are running between 140 and 180 bushels per acre. Soybeans are running between 45 and 50 bushels an acre. Soybean moisture levels are high, he says, adding his farm received 13 inches of rain in September, two-thirds more than usual.

Corn moisture levels are down from last year everywhere, running from 18 per cent to 24 per cent. But the price is bad. Says Bill Mowatt: "You can’t stay in business on $90 (per tonne) corn."