Crop production forecasts slightly down

DES MOINES — A projection of this year’s crop production in Iowa estimates that statewide corn and soy harvests will come in lower this year than last.

The report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) forecasts Iowa’s corn production at 2.49 billion bushels, down 2% from 2021. It predicted soy production at 591 million bushels, down 5% from 2021.

“Based on conditions as of Sept. 1, (corn) yields are expected to average 200.0 bushels per acre, down 5.0 bushels per acre from the Aug. 1 forecast and down 5.0 bushels from last year,” the report said. “The (soybean) yield is forecast at 59.0 bushels per acre, up 1.0 bushel per acre from the August forecast but 3.0 bushels lower than 2021.”

NASS Upper Midwest Regional Director Greg Thessen said multiple factors were likely at play in the lowered harvest expectations.

“In Iowa, I would say it’s likely due to the later planting window than last year and the … dry conditions throughout the majority of the growing season,” he said.

Thessen said the expected decline wasn’t unusual, especially given the context of last year’s substantial corn and soy harvests.

“We were coming off of record high yields last year,” he said. “(It’s) not that this year’s yields are that odd, necessarily, it’s that last year’s were really good … but I wouldn’t say, either, that 2% is that odd, if you go back over history, if you look at the charts for each crop, that’s pretty common. Weather drives a lot of it, so from year to year, changes in the weather can cause that fluctuation.”

Lance Honig, crops branch chief, of the USDA’s NASS office, said similar factors were at play on a national scale, where corn and soy production are also expected to drop.

“There’s a lot of different weather things happening across the country,” he said. “There’s a big part of the growing area this year that’s seen some pretty dry conditions. Not necessarily what we think of as the heart of the Corn Belt, but there are a lot of acres … and the crop’s been a little bit late this year, generally speaking. We got a slow start to planting and you just never completely catch up. So things have been running a little bit behind all season.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com