Despite many challenges in 2021, U.S. corn and soybean yields topped those of 2020.
Last year, total corn production was 15.1 billion bushels, up 7% the 2020 estimate, per USDA’s latest report. The average U.S. yield was a record-high 177 bu. per acre, 5.6 bu. above the 2020 yield.
In soybeans, total production hit a record 4.44 billion bushels, up 5% from 2020. The average yield per acre was estimated at 51.4 bu., up 0.4 bu. from 2020.
“U.S. farmers were able to grow a record crop last year despite the fact we had problems in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Missouri and some of the southern Plains,” says Joe Vaclavik, Standard Grain president. “We had a new record for soybean production, barely eclipsing 2018. We also saw the second-best U.S. corn crop, which barely missed 2016.”
For 2021, 12 states had record corn and soybean yields.
Just in corn, record yields occurred in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin.
For soybeans, record high yields occurred in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Read more coverage of the Jan. 12 USDA reports:
Jerry Gulke: Will South America be the Price Maker? After starting 2022 off on the positive side, the grain markets were lower the second week of January.
USDA’s January Reports Reveal Hay Stocks Hit a 10-Year Low in December: Dry conditions in the West have plagued producers for months. And while some recent relief has come in the form of rain, a new USDA report shows just how dire the hay situation is for many livestock producers.
All Eyes on South America: Did USDA Trim Production Enough: Dryness in South America prompted USDA to cut production estimates for key countries, such as Brazil, Argentina.
USDA’s Final 2021 Crop Production Numbers Are In, Here’s What You Should Know: USDA made slight adjustments to the final 2021 corn-production estimate, but not due to a change in yield. USDA reported a slightly higher national soybean yield. The agency also revised demand in WASDE on Wednesday.
