Posted: 04.05.2011

Wisconsin's vegetable producers have been weighing their options for weeks - and now it looks like the high price of raising field corn may take from Wisconsin's vegetable acres.

The Wisconsin Ag Statistical Service (WASS) says that their March 1st survey showed a marked decline in the number of contracted acres going for the states cucumber, sweet corn, pea and snap bean production.  Nationwide, the same trend's in place.  Analysts believe that the high price the market's offering for field corn and contentious contract negotiations with vegetable processors have led to the shift.

In Wisconsin, WASS projects these trends:
Sweet Corn acres - down 15 percent
Cucumber acres - down 8 percent
Snap Bean acres - down 15 percent
Green Pea acres - down 21 percent

This trend is not new to Wisconsin, or national vegetable production.  In 2010, USDA reported contracted processing vegetable production for the four major processing crops (snap beans, sweet corn, green peas, and tomatoes) was 9 percent from 2009. USDA estimated that contracted area for harvest of the four major processing vegetable crops, was 988,150 acres - 10 percent below 2009.

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