COURTLAND
As you drive about Southampton County, you’ll still see farmers in the fields harvesting cotton. Or perhaps the familiar bales in multi-colored wrapping await pick-up for the nearest gin. Either way, the output this year is positive.

Southampton County Extension Agent Livvy Preisser said, “It’s most definitely harvest time. We have had a good year overall with the peanut and corn harvest being very good this year. Cotton harvest is in full swing right now and the yields are very good as well.

“After cotton is harvested, they [the farmers] will move into harvesting soybeans. Yields are looking very good across the board. We will know more specifics in the future.”

Chris Drake, an independent agent for Phytogen, said recently, “The yield is definitely above average, there’s no doubt about it. There’s still a long way to go in harvesting, especially closer to Suffolk. They’re a little further behind than Southampton. The harvest is probably 50 to 60 percent complete.”

Drake added that he thinks this year’s harvest will rate as the third best.

“Not as good as 2014 — 2012’s the best year on record,” he said.

How much money farmers will see is another matter.

“The prices are not that great, now in the upper 60s — 68 to 69 cents — nothing to get too excited about,” Drake said. “The demand is not that bad.”

He also said the U.S., particularly in Texas and Georgia, planted more acres than in quite awhile.

Drake also added that in our area, more grain crops were also planted.

“In a few more weeks, we’ll have a better handle on the national picture as far as yields,” he said.