By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver issued a proclamation earlier this month that eases road restrictions on truck drivers transporting propane (LP) into the state for farmers to use during the final days of harvest, which has already spiked an increase in LP demand.

“Iowa’s farmers are the best in the world,” Culver said. “This proclamation will assist corn and soybean growers getting these important commodities to market as quickly as possible.”

Culver said suspending the hours of service requirement for truck drivers delivering propane would help bring LP into the state quicker, helping to also ensure an adequate supply of fuel for farmers drying their crops after this year’s harvest.

Wet fields and cold temperatures the last two months have resulted in combining delays that have put Iowa farmers several weeks behind schedule, causing many to work overtime to get their crops out of the fields before more inclement weather hits this fall. In fact, Iowa’s 2009 harvest is the state’s latest for corn and soybeans to come in from the fields since 1951, with last month being the wettest October since 1881.

“It is vital that farmers are able to get into the fields while the weather allows,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. “Farmers are using significant amounts of propane to dry crops that have moisture levels too high to store without drying.”

There are still several billion dollars’ worth of corn and soybeans in the fields, he added.

“There was some concern by farmers that they may be forced to stop harvest while they waited for the propane they need to dry their crops,” Northey said. “I commend the Governor for taking this action in a timely manner.”

In the proclamation, Culver declared Iowa to be in a state of disaster emergency “due to the significant size of the corn and soybean crop, and weather concerns” with “in-field moisture ranges substantially higher than average, resulting in the need for substantial amounts of propane for drying crops.”

Last month, he issued a similar proclamation for harvest that temporarily lifted weight restrictions on highways for corn and soybeans. The Nov. 7 proclamation takes effect immediately and will stay in effect until Dec. 1.

Kirk Leeds, CEO of the Iowa Soybean Assoc., said Culver’s decision was a welcome one for Iowa farmers who have already endured wet fields and two unseasonable bouts of cold temperatures and light snow, which have twice delayed combining in the fields.

“The Governor’s decision was clearly a good idea,” Leeds said. “Iowa’s ag industry, and our overall economy for that matter, is significantly impacted by a narrow window of time during the year when harvest occurs. The wet fall we have experienced this year has narrowed that window even further.

“We welcome the flexibility and understanding that the Governor is showing through this action. This flexibility – along with some warm and dry days – should really help the situation.”

Culver said the lack of an adequate supply of LP would threaten the ability of farmers to meet grain-drying needs, as well as consumers preparing for winter. “Without relief, farmers may not be able to obtain needed supplies of propane to complete the harvest,” he added, “and storage process and general consumers may not be able to obtain needed supplies of propane to meet their heating and energy needs.”

Under Iowa Code, strict compliance with the hours of service requirements would have either prevented or delayed LP delivery needed to cope with the emergency, Culver added.

“Timely delivery of propane supplies is necessary to protect the public health and safety, and to protect against damage or destruction of private property, including damage to or loss of harvested crops,” he said.

For farmers using propane to dry their corn, Charles Hurburgh – Iowa State University professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering – said corn that is 15 percent or higher in moisture should be dried immediately. But if corn gets to 18 percent in the field, farmers could just air-dry their grain, said Larry Jons, Central City, Iowa, corn grower.

“With LP being about 75 cents per gallon cheaper than last year, it shouldn’t cost as much to dry the corn down,” he said.

The USDA predicted in September that Iowa would have a record bumper crop this fall, but lowered that expectation by 17 bushels per acre in its Nov. 10 Crop Production Report. As the nation’s leading corn producer, Iowa’s yield is up from 2008 at 171 bushels per acre, to 183 bushels per acre – a slight decrease from the previously predicted 188, with production also predicted to decrease slightly.

“We still see a lot of corn coming out of the fields,” said Mindy Williamson, director of communications for the Iowa Corn Growers Assoc. “The moisture is dropping and the combines are running. Yields from fields across the state have been exceptional, even with the weather challenges this year.”