January 17, 2008

Nebraska reaps record corn harvest of 1.5 billion bushels

Last year Nebraska farmers harvested a state record 1.47 billion bushels of corn, and more than 90 percent of it was graded the best corn a consumer can buy, the Nebraska Corn Board reported.

The Nebraska Corn Board said Tuesday that 91 percent of the crop tested at Grade No. 1. The 2007 test was third in a row to hit 90 percent or higher.

There was no test in 2006, said Corn Board spokesman Randy Klein, but the 2005 test hit 97 percent Grade No. 1, and the 2004 test hit 92.3 percent Grade No. 1.

The report on the Nebraska Corn Quality Study is distributed to corn buyers and trade teams. High-quality corn produces higher-than-average sales and helps the state¡¯s image in export markets.

Klein said that near as he knew, no other states perform such widespread testing on its corn crop - 188 samples collected statewide from corn producers and elevators.

He said the Nebraska Corn Board is confident it would be among the national quality leaders because so much of the crop is grown on irrigated land, 70 percent to 75 percent of the harvest on 60 percent to 65 percent of the planted acres.

The reliable watering helps reduce plant stress, Klein said.

To be rated Grade No. 1, the corn must weigh at least 56 pounds per bushel and the average bushel can contain no more than 2 percent foreign material or broken kernels.

The Nebraska Corn Board report projected that about 7 percent of the 2007 crop will go overseas, 21 percent will be sold to other users outside Nebraska, 25 percent will go to animal feed, and 47 percent will be processed in Nebraska. From the 47 percent, the report said, more than three-quarters will go to ethanol plants and the remainder will be used for human food.