By Dave Thompson
Bismarck, ND – The administrator of the North Dakota Wheat Commission says 2009 will mean a "mixed bag" for wheat farmers.
Neal Fisher says on the positive side, oil prices are down -- so the cost of putting in the crop should be lower. But he says prices have dropped -- due to the current worldwide financial situation.
"Frankly, producers face this much more frequently than people on the street do," said Fisher. "Producers are in this whip-saw every year it seems. But this time, what's going on with the global economy has had the impact of dampening -- at least psychologically -- the immediate demand for commodities like wheat and corn."
Fisher says those will all figure into farmers' planting decisions for 2009. He says the good news is -- lower oil prices could mean lower input costs.