The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the September Crop Production report today, showing increased yield forecasts for field crops.
“Based on producer reports, soybean, corn and tobacco yield forecasts increased from a month ago,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “Rainfall in the middle of August was very timely, improving an already good situation.”
“Reports from early corn harvest are suggesting state-wide yields will be better than the five year average of 167 bushels per acre,” Knopf added.
Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at 214 million bushels, up 1 percent from the August forecast but down 1 percent from the 2017 crop. Yield was estimated at 177 bushels per acre, up 2.0 bushels from last month and down 1.0 bushel from last year. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 1.21 million acres, down 10,000 acres from 2017.
The U.S. corn production is forecast at 14.8 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the August forecast and up 2 percent from last year’s record production. Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average 181.3 bushels per acre, up 2.9 bushels from last month and up 4.7 bushels from 2017. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 81.8 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down 1 percent from 2017.