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USDA predicts record-setting corn harvest

Posted at 10:42 PM, Oct 22, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-22 22:42:28-04

What could be a record-setting corn harvest has a good chance of making it cheaper to get food, ethanol, and animal feed.

Maureen Wurtz reports farmers in Nebraska are keeping a close eye on their crop.

 It's all blue skies and corn fields for Dan Mensik.

"Pretty much a race against the weather. Every farmer I know is watching the weather, every morning, every night."

Back and forth and back again. It's a routine Mensik is getting used to. He is just starting to harvest his corn crop, and has about 600 more acres to go.

"So, we are probably doubling our yields I would say."

And the U.S. Department of Agriculture agrees, it says 2013 could be the biggest corn harvest yet.

"This is going to be one of the better years for all of us in a while."

"Mensik tells me the corn cobs are even bigger this year. If you look closely, the kernels are bigger and they go all the way around."

"I mean, we had quite a drought all over Nebraska."

Corn is going for about four dollars a bushel. Last year, during the drought, it was around eight a bushel.

So, that means it'll be cheaper for farmers to feed animals like cattle and cheaper to make ethanol, which will help keep those food prices down.

Mensik is busy in a race against time and weather, trying to make sure he gets every penny out of his crop is what keeps mensik going.

"Three weeks from now it could be two feet of snow."

He’s hoping his bets will pay off in the next month.

"You don't see me at Harrahs gambling, because I do it every day when I get out of bed."