By Hoanh Le
Soybeans were the second largest crop in South Dakota in 2024, accounting for approximately 35 percent of the state’s total crop cash receipts. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the state planted 5.45 million acres of soybeans in 2024, producing about 231 million bushels. In 2025, soybean planted acreage declined to 5.1 million acres; however, total production increased to approximately 238 million bushels due to higher yields compared with 2024.
Figures 1-A and 1-B illustrate the trends in soybean planted acreage and total soybean production in South Dakota over the past decade. In 2019, South Dakota’s soybean planted acres were approximately 3.55 million, the lowest level during this period. Excessive rainfall and flooding in early spring 2019 delayed planting and resulted in the highest prevented-plant acres that year, significantly reducing soybean planting acres. In addition, the U.S.-China trade conflict reduced export demand, driving down soybean prices and making it less attractive for farmers to plant soybeans that year. Over the past five years, soybean planted acreage in South Dakota has generally stabilized, ranging between 5.1 and 5.45 million acres.
2024 Soybeans Yield by County
The statewide average yield is 47 bushels per acre in 2025, up 9.3 percent from 43 bushels per acre in 2024. However, average yields vary substantially across counties due to differences in soil quality, weather patterns, and management practices. Because county-level 2025 yield data have not yet been released, we will examine 2024 soybean yields at the county level. Figure 2 presents the average yield for non-irrigated cropland using data from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). Unlike survey-based yields from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which do not report yields for many South Dakota counties due to small sample sizes or low response rates in those counties, county yields from RMA are based on an aggregate of individual yields from participants in crop insurance programs within a county. Li et al. (2020) find that county yields from RMA are slightly higher than NASS estimates, but they are not statistically significantly different most of the time. In 2024, Moody had the highest yield in South Dakota at 55.4 bushels per acre, while Lyman and Tripp had the lowest, averaging just 29 bushels per acre.
Source : sdstate.edu