Despite slight decreases in the forecasts for overall production and national yield, U.S. farmers are still on track to produce a record corn crop, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. “Despite planting delays and somewhat cool, wet conditions across much of the Corn Belt, farmers have worked diligently to grow the best crop possible,” said National Corn Growers Association First Vice President Martin Barbre, a farmer from Carmi, Ill. “We are pleased to see that this work is coming to fruition in many of the fields surveyed by the USDA in order to produce this forecast. Farmers merge cutting-edge technology and ever-improving practices to create a dynamic industry capable of operating at a level unthinkable only a few decades prior. As harvest slowly approaches, we hope that conditions hold strong and look forward to getting the crop out of the field and into the bins.”
Total production projections were lowered from last month by 187 million bushels to 13.8 billion bushels total. The projected yield was also lowered by 2.1 bushels per acre to 154.4 bushels per acre to reflect reports from field surveys. Notably, if achieved, this would still be the third highest national average corn yield on record.