November 9, 2010

Missouri Corn Production Forecast Below Month Earlier,
Soybeans Unchanged

(COLUMBIA, MO) -“Despite adequate rainfall and a near-perfect harvest season, Missouri producers continued to be surprised and disappointed, especially with the corn yields,” said Gene Danekas, Director of the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service. “Most farmers expected much better yields from this year’s corn crop and were surprised when the combines rolled.”

Corn production in Missouri is forecast at 387 million bushels, down 5 percent from the October forecast and 13 percent below last year’s crop. The projected yield of 127 bushels per acre is 7 bushels below a month earlier and 26 bushels per acre below the 153 bushel yield of 2009. If realized, this will be the fifth largest corn crop on record.

Missouri soybean production is forecast at 210 million bushels based on November 1 conditions, 9 percent below 2009 but unchanged from the October 1 forecast. A State yield average of 41 bushels per acre is expected, unchanged from October but 2.5 bushels per acre below last year. This would be the third largest soybean crop on record behind 2009 and 2004.

Rice yield in the State is forecast at 6,300 pounds per acre, the same as expected a month earlier but 410 pounds less than the 2009 yield. Production is expected to total 15.8 million cwt, unchanged from the October forecast but 18 percent more than 2009. If realized, this will result in a record production, above the previous record of 14.1 million cwt set in 2005.

Cotton production in Missouri is forecast at 700,000 bales, up 3 percent from the October 1 forecast and 39 percent above last year’s production. The forecast yield of 1,073 pounds is up 30 pounds from last month and 146 pounds per acre above last year’s yield. This would be the second highest yield on record, below the 2008 level of 1,106 pounds per acre.

Missouri grain sorghum production is forecast at 3.15 million bushels, a decrease of 5 percent from the October forecast and 15 percent below last year. The State yield forecast of 90 bushels per acre is down 5 bushels per acre from a month earlier but 4 bushels above last year.

United States Corn and Soybean Production down From October

United States corn is forecast at 12.5 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the October forecast and down 4 percent from last year’s record production of 13.1 billion bushels. As of November 1, yields are expected to average 154.3 bushels per acre, down 1.5 bushels from the previous month and 10.4 bushels below last year’s record of 164.7 bushels.

Soybean production in the U.S. is forecast at a record high 3.38 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the October forecast but up slightly from last year. Based on November 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 43.9 bushels per acre, down 0.5 bushel from last month and down 0.1 bushel from last year’s record high yield.

U.S. rice production is forecast at 242 million cwt, down slightly from the October forecast but up 10 percent from last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 3.62 million acres, unchanged from October but up 17 percent from 2009. As of November 1, the average United States yield is forecast at 6,669 pounds per acre, down 18 pounds from the previous forecast and down 416 pounds from last year.

All cotton production in the U.S. is forecast at 18.4 million 480-pound bales, down 2 percent from last month but up 51 percent from last year’s 12.2 million bales. Yield is expected to average 821 pounds per harvested acre, up 44 pounds from last year. Upland cotton production is forecast at 17.9 million 480-pound bales, down 2 percent from last month but 52 percent above 2009. American Pima production, forecast at 497,800 bales, was carried forward from last month.

U.S. sorghum production is forecast at 338 million bushels, up fractionally from the October 1 forecast but 12 percent below last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 4.66 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but 16 percent below last year. If realized, this will be the lowest harvested acreage on record since 1936. Based on November 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 72.5 bushels per acre, up 0.1 bushel from October and up 3.1 bushels from last year.