Many Arkansas soybean farmers this week are seeing another kind of sticker shock when they send their beans to grain elevators and other buyers -- stiff penalties for beans damaged by too much moisture, reports the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
Some have seen dockage penalties of up to $1.45/bushel for beans that don't meet quality specifications, a financial loss on top of lower market prices resulting from a trade war.
A grain buyer who asked not to be identified said Thursday that he agreed that the $1.45-a-bushel penalty was common this week but rare overall.
"The market is being more selective because damaged beans are harder to get rid of," he told the Democrat Gazette.
One group, Farm Voices, has talked informally with representatives of the consumer protection division of the state attorney general's office about the dockage increases.
