Print    Email   

North Dakota set to again harvest record corn crop

2008-10-26 05:34:00
Author: BizWire

Fargo, ND - Farmers in North Dakota are again on the verge of harvesting a record corn crop, according to estimates by the state field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which were based on Oct. 1 conditions.

The corn for grain production is forecast at a record high 298 million bushels, up 11 percent from the September forecast and 9 percent over last year's record crop. Yields are expected to average 127 bushels per acre, up two bushels from the September estimate and 11 bushels over last year's figures.

Farmers will harvest an expected 2.35 million acres of corn, the same as last year.

Soybean production in the state is expected to tie the record crop set back in 2006. NASS expects this year's soybean crop to total 120 million bushels, which is up 3 percent from last month's forecast and 10 percent from last year's crop. The expected yield of 31.0 bushels per acre is 4 bushels less than the average yield last year. The harvested area for this year is pegged at 3.87 million acres, which is equal to the record high set in 2006.

The state will see a 6 percent decline in dry edible bean production this year. The crop is estimated at 9.92 million hundredweight (cwt) from a yield of 1,550 pounds per harvested acre, compared to 1,590 pounds last year. Harvested acreage of 640,000 acres is down 4 percent from last year.

The sunflower crop, including both oil and non-oil varieties, is forecast at 1.57 billion pounds, which is up 6 percent from last year's production. Farmers are expecting an average yield of 1,444 pounds per acre, up from 1,414 pounds last year and 1.09 million acres are expected to be harvested, representing a 3 percent increase from 2007.

With a 5 percent growth from last year, the state's canola production is pegged at 1.40 billion pounds. The forecast yield of 1,520 pounds is up 280 pounds from last year while the harvested acreage declined by 14 percent to 920,000 acres.

The production forecasts were based on yield projections and acreage reports collected from a cross-section of producers in the state on or around Oct. 1.

Much of the increase from the September report came as a result of revising planted acre figures, according to Greg Kimmet, deputy director of the North Dakota Field Office of NASS. For instance, corn planted acres increased from 2.4 million acres in the June NASS report to 2.6 million acres, and planted soybean acreage increased from 3.4 million acres in the June report to 3.95 million acres.

“Our first planted acreage report is issued in June, and this is on surveys with farmers across the state,” Kimmet said. “Then, during the summer months we receive ‘administrative data,' which is basically information from the farmers certifying their acres at their local Farm Service Agency offices. We will start tracking this information and the acreages increased for several commodities this year.

“We have been doing this for several years, and we always make the adjustments in our October report, and this year we noticed some large acreage increases, especially in soybeans.”

Other changes noted included an 80,000 acre increase for dry edible beans, 120,000 additional planted acres for sunflower; and an upward adjustment of 30,000 acres for canola.

U.S. figures

The nation's corn crop is estimated to be 7 percent smaller in 2008 than in 2007 which was a record production year, according to the NASS report.

The agency expects 12.2 billion bushels will be harvested this year with an average yield of 154 bushels per acre. This represents a 2.9 bushel per acre increase in yield over 2007. However, last year 86.5 million acres were harvested - the largest on record - compared to 79.2 million acres this year which is the second largest. If realized, the 154 bushel per acre yield will be second only to the 2004 record setting year.

Soybean production is forecast to increase by 11 percent over last year to 2.98 billion bushels. Yields are expected to average 39.5 bushels per acre - down 2.2 bushels from last year. The area harvested for soybeans is expected to be the largest on record at 75.5 million acres - up 18 percent from 2007.

The dry edible bean crop is expected to be up only slightly from last year's crop, with 25.4 million cwt produced. Farmers are expected to harvest a record high average yield of 1,772 pounds per acre, 56 pounds above the 2007 yield. This year's harvest acreage of 1.43 million acres is 3 percent below last year's harvested area.

An increase of 21 percent is expected in this year's sunflower crop, with production pegged at 3.48 billion pounds, which is a 63 percent increase over the 2006 crop figures. The forecast yield of 1,449 pounds per acre is up 13 pounds from last year. Farmers are expected to harvest 2.41 million acres - up 20 percent from the 2007 harvested acreage.

NASS estimates 1.52 billion pounds of canola will be produced this year - up 5 percent from 2007. The average yield is forecast at 1,514 pounds per acre - up 264 pounds from last year's yield. The crop will be harvested from 1.01 million acres, 13 percent less than the 2007 harvested area.

Share on Facebook Post to Del.icio.ous

---