November 10, 2009

Soybean Production Estimate Above Month Earlier, Corn Unchanged

(COLUMBIA, MO) -“The extremely late harvest has allowed only minimal harvest opportunities before November 1,” said Gene Danekas, Director of the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service, “although expectations continue to be high for an exceptionally good crop following a most unusual growing season.”

Missouri soybean production is forecast at 233 million bushels based on November 1 conditions, up 5 percent from last month and 22 percent above 2008. A State yield average of 44 bushels per acre is expected, up 2 bushels from October and 6 bushels above last year. If realized, this will be the largest soybean crop on record and the second highest soybean yield, only behind 2004 when 45 bushels per acre were harvested.

Corn production in Missouri is forecast at 438 million bushels, unchanged from the October forecast but 15 percent above last year’s crop. The projected yield of 151 bushels per acre is also unchanged from a month earlier but 7 bushels per acre above the 144 bushel yield of 2008. If realized, this will be the third largest corn crop and second highest corn yield on record, also behind 2004 when 162 bushels per acre were harvested.

Rice production in the State is expected to total a record 13.9 million cwt, unchanged from the October forecast but 6 percent more than 2008. A record yield of 7,000 pounds per acre is forecast, the same as expected a month earlier but 380 pounds more than the 2008 yield.

Cotton production in Missouri is forecast at 520,000 bales, down 16 percent from the October 1 forecast and 26 percent below last year’s production. The forecast yield of 949 pounds is down 183 pounds from last month and 157 pounds per acre below last year’s yield.

Missouri grain sorghum production is forecast at 4.01 million bushels, unchanged from the October forecast but 48 percent below last year. The State yield forecast of 89 bushels per acre is also unchanged from a month earlier but 8 bushels below last year.

United States Soybean Production Up From October, Corn Down

United States soybean production is forecast at a record high 3.32 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the October forecast and up 12 percent from last year. Based on November 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 43.3 bushels per acre, up 0.9 of a bushel from last month and up 3.6 bushels from 2008. If realized, this will be the highest U.S. yield on record.

Corn production in the U.S. is forecast at 12.9 billion bushels, down 1 percent from last month but 7 percent higher than 2008. Based on conditions as of November 1, yields are expected to average 162.9 bushels per acre, down 1.3 bushels from October but 9.0 bushels above last year. Despite the drop in yield from October, this yield will be the highest on record if realized. Total production will be second highest on record, only behind 2007.

U.S. rice production is forecast at 218 million cwt, down 1 percent from the October forecast but up 7 percent from last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 3.10 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 4 percent from 2008. As of November 1, the U.S. yield is forecast at 7,038 pounds per acre, down 77 pounds from the October 1 forecast but 192 pounds above the 2008 average yield of 6,846 pounds per acre.

Upland cotton harvested in the U.S., at 7.59 million acres, is unchanged from last month but up 3 percent from last year. American-Pima harvested area, at 146,200, was carried forward from the August forecast.

U.S. sorghum production is forecast at 364 million bushels, up slightly from the October 1 forecast but down 23 percent from 2008. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 5.68 million acres, unchanged from last month but down 22 percent from last year. Based on November 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 64.0 bushels per acre, unchanged from October but down 1.0 bushel from last year.