I'm told by local Cargill folks that they will not commit to buy any new crop from you until you fill out the yield information form, sign it, & return it. They ask for acres & yields. Have these been used elsewhere? First time in my short lifetime I've seen such a request. The form came w/no explanation initially. I thought I was the only one that questioned it...apparently not. Although, if you had new crop sold prior to ???, they're honoring those $4 contracts w/no balance sheet needed.

I've never seen or heard of this before. One of the local managers tried to explain it to me, but it didn't make sense to me. I think he said they wanted guarantees of crop production for their committments. I told him that perhaps I was wrong, but it seems to me that the farmer with new crop sales is the one "hung out to dry" if something happens to Cargill. What becomes of your signed contract you made to deliver grain? Why do they need a balance sheet (as it's described on the sheet) from me? Shouldn't I be the one deserving a balance sheet from them? Though, I've never considered asking for such...'til now.

Everyone wants to know what you got. Add this to the list w/the USDA census. I'm told that some folks did not return that form.