Midwest Crop Tour Estimates Lower than USDA

The Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour concluded on Thursday. Using that crop tour data, Pro Farmer has projected corn yield at 163.3 bushels per acre, 6.2 bu/acre lower than USDA’s most recent projection at 169.5 bushels per acre. They estimate total corn production at 13.358 billion bushels. USDA’s most recent projection was and 13.875 billion bushels.

In soybeans, Pro Farmer is projecting 46.1 bushels per acre and 3.497 billion bushels. USDA projects 48.5 bushels per acre and 3.845 billion bushels.

Pro Farmer editor Brian Grete says crop immaturity across the corn belt was a major factor in coming up with these projections.

“The biggest differences in maturity were in the far Eastern Corn Belt, Ohio, Indiana, parts of Illinois, South Dakota was an immature crop there as well. Iowa and Nebraska, they were a little bit more mature, but I wouldn’t say anything was more advanced than what it normally would be.”

Indiana’s estimated corn yield according to Pro Farmer is 161.46 bu/acre. USDA is projecting an Indiana corn yield of 166 bu/acre, down 23 bushels from a year ago.