TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
RABBIT HASH -- As Northern Kentucky farmers prepare to open the soil and plant their crops for another season, their task no longer involves merely putting seeds in the ground and hoping for good weather. Farming also means knowing which crops are likely to earn the most money, checking prices for grain and tobacco futures, knowing what areas of the world are the strongest crop producers -- and hoping for good weather.
Brothers Bob and Russell Schwenke farm nearly 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans along Ky. 338, as well as tobacco in several locations in Boone County, and they keep a close watch on futures and world agriculture trends throughout the year.
"Grain futures are down somewhat," Russell Schwenke said while working on equipment in one of the family barns. "The South American (corn) crop is better this year, which has an effect on our prices. This is a worldwide market."
He also mentioned the money problems of the Asian market. "Their currency problems have hurt our market, because our grain is exported to the Pacific rim."
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith said the overall agriculture forecast, including market, planting and weather perspectives, is positive for the 1998 growing season. "The weather forecasters say we can expect better weather this year," Mr. Smith said. "The weather during last year's growing season was pretty bad and cut into crop production in many areas." While the state's early-wheat crop was stunted by the cold snap in February, he said the outlook for corn and soybeans appears bright.
"The demand for those products worldwide is up, so we anticipate normal prices," he said. "It's still too early to tell if there will be any increases, but it's unlikely."
Similarly, tobacco -- the state's No. 1 cash crop -- should be in for a good growing season. Some early predictions call for one of the largest burley tobacco crops in recent years, given an early growing season and the number of farmers still planting.
"I don't expect any big increases in tobacco prices," Russell Schwenke said. "Weather will play the biggest role in how big the tobacco crop is."
He said the ground "is not all that wet . . . about normal for this time of year. We hope to get planted in mid-April, depending on the weather."
Although counties like Boone are losing much of their farm base to subdivisions, Mr. Smith emphasized that the state must pay attention to its farmers.
"Agriculture is very important to this state," he said. "We are approaching $4 billion in farm gate sales. We (state) have a plan of action that would take us to $5 billion by 2000.
"We want to enhance value of our grains, livestock, all farm products. And instead of just selling them as raw materials, we want to establish businesses that will take the products and process them to be sold as finished products. An example would be local slaughterhouses for preparation of meat products."
A study conducted recently by the agriculture department shows that farmers in the 65-and-over age group are not looking for any new initiatives, while farmers in the 45-65 range are willing to look at additional opportunities, and younger farmers, 25-35, are open to anything new.
"We must have diversification in farming," Mr. Smith said, mentioning fresh water shrimp, llama and ostrich production as examples.
"Consumers are looking at new products. We have to change our way of thinking to gear our products to meet the needs of the consumer. I think we're doing it."
