Indiana, U.S. Produce record Corn And Soybean Crops

By Keith Robinson

Both Indiana and the nation produced record corn and soybean crops last fall as a result of mostly favorable growing conditions, according to final estimates of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The markets expected huge crops as it became evident that the weather was providing for overall good conditions for crop development, and projections for bumper crops followed as harvest neared.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported this week that Indiana farmers produced an estimated 1.08 billion bushels of corn, up from 1.03 billion last year, the first time production reached 1 billion. The 2014 production was on average yields of 188 bushels per acre, surpassing the previous record of 177 set a year earlier.

Indiana's record production came despite fewer acres harvested for grain - 5.77 million acres, compared with 5.83 million in 2013.

Nationally, the NASS estimated the nation's corn production at 14.2 billion bushels, compared with 13.8 billion in 2013, on a record yield of 171 bushels per acre.

Fewer acres of corn were harvested nationally, too - 83.1 million acres, compared with 87.4 million the previous year.

For soybeans, Indiana farmers produced an estimated 307.4 million bushels. That is up from 267.2 million in 2013 and surpasses the previous record of 284.2 million set in 2004. They did that on a record average of 56 bushels per acre.

Indiana soybean farmers harvested more acres last fall - 5.49 million acres, compared with 5.19 million in 2013.

Nationally, soybean farmers produced 3.97 billion bushels, up from 3.36 billion the previous year. The average yield per acre was estimated at a record 47.8 bushels. More soybean acres were harvested last year than a year earlier - 83.06 million, compared with 76.2 million.

Source:purdue.edu
​