What does 2013 hold for Popcorn Harvest?

Sep 16, 2013
By Denise Faguy
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

On the weekend, I went to purchase my favorite popcorn at Kernels Popcorn, but I couldn’t get my low-fat caramel popcorn because their supplier had a shortage of the popcorn variety used for sugary varieties like caramel.

The shortage is a result of the 2012 drought in the mid-west; most U.S. popcorn is grown in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri. According to a report in International Food Trader, in 2012, popcorn yields were reported to be about 3000 pounds per acre -- yields are rarely below 4000 pound per acre.

According to the Popcorn Board’s 2013 Planting Survey, 184,241 acres were planted during the 2013 growing season. This is a 10% increase over what was reported in 2012. August is normally the month for popcorn harvest, so it will be interesting to see how yields differ for 2013.

Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of this whole grain. According to the US Popcorn Board, most of the popcorn consumed throughout the world is grown in the United States, but sales of popcorn world-wide are steadily increasing.

The popcorn board indicates that about 70 percent of popcorn is eaten in the home (home popped and pre-popped) and about 30 percent outside the home (theaters, stadiums, schools, etc.). The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is the fall.

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