USDA Raises Crop Estimates
US - Corn production is forecast at 11.1 billion bushels, up 1 percent from last month and fractionally above 2005.
Based on conditions
as of September 1, yields are expected to average 154.7 bushels per
acre, up 2.5 bushels from August and 6.8 bushels from last year.
If realized, yield and production would be the second largest on
record, behind 2004.
Forecast yields are higher than August across
the northern Great Plains and western Corn Belt as moderate to
heavy precipitation during the month improved soil moisture levels
and crop conditions. Expected yields across the eastern Corn Belt
are unchanged from last month. Farmers expect to harvest
71.8 million acres of corn for grain, down 250,000 acres from
August and down 4 percent from 2005.
Soybean production is forecast at 3.09 billion bushels, up
6 percent from the August forecast and up slightly from the 2005
crop. If realized, this would be the second highest production on
record. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to
average 41.8 bushels per acre, up 2.2 bushels from August but down
1.5 bushels from last year's record high yield.
Compared with last
month, yields are forecast higher across the Corn Belt and most of
the northern and central Great Plains. Near or above normal
moisture in those areas during August improved crop conditions. In
contrast, yields are down or unchanged from the August 1 forecast
across the Gulf Coast States and Atlantic Coast States, with the
exception of South Carolina.
ThePigSite News Desk