LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the October Crop Production report showing an increased harvest for corn, and hay, compared with a year ago. Soybean production is expected to be lower than last year, but still the fourth largest crop in state history.
“Growers expect that corn and soybean yields will be record highs,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “The growing season has seen favorable moisture and temperatures, and harvest conditions have been good, to date.”
Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at 268 million bushels, unchanged from the September forecast and up 7% from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 185 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month and up 1 bushel from the 2020 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 1.45 million acres, up 90,000 acres from 2020. The U.S. corn production is forecast at 15.0 billion bushels, up slightly from the September forecast and up 6% from 2020. Based on conditions as of October 1, yields are expected to average 176.5 bushels per acre, up 0.2 bushels from last month and up 5.1 bushels from 2020. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 85.1 million acres, unchanged from the September forecast and up 3% from 2020.
Soybean production for Kentucky is forecast at 98.5 million bushels, unchanged from the September forecast and down 3% from 2020. Yield was estimated at 55 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month and a year ago. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 1.79 million acres, down 50,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.45 billion bushels, up 2% from the September forecast and up 5% from last year. Based on October 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 51.5 bushels per acre, up 0.9 bushels from last month and up 0.5 bushels from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 86.4 million acres, unchanged from the September forecast and up 5% from 2020.
Kentucky burley tobacco production is forecast at 68.4 million pounds, down 8% from the September forecast and down 5% from 2020. Yield was projected at 1,900 pounds per acre, down 100 pounds from last month and down 50 pounds from the 2020 crop. Harvested acreage was estimated at 36,000 acres, down 1,000 acres from last year’s crop. For the burley producing states production is forecast at 81.3 million pounds, down 4% from last year. Burley growers plan to harvest 42,450 acres, down 2% from 2020. Yields were expected to average 1,915 pounds per acre, down 41 pounds from last year.
Production of Kentucky dark fire-cured tobacco is forecast at 30.5 million pounds, up 6% from the September forecast and up 47% from the previous year. Dark air-cured tobacco production is forecast at 14.0 million pounds, down 16% from the September forecast and down 2% from last year.
Alfalfa hay production by Kentucky farmers is forecast at 513,000 tons, up 1% the 2020 level. Other hay production is estimated at 5.04 million tons, up 2% from last year.
— USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office
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