September 18, 2007

Minnesota corn projections up 10 percent on-year

Minnesota's corn production is seen at 1.21 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the August 1 forecast and up 10 percent from 2006 according to the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Minnesota Field Office.

As of September 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 158 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from last month but down from last year's yield of 161 bushels per acre. Corn for grain harvested area is estimated at 7.7 million acres, up 12 percent from last year.

On the other hand, soy production is projected at 260 million bushels, up 5 percent from last month's forecast but down 18 percent from last year's record high production. Soy yield is forecast at 42 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from last month's forecast but down 2 bushels from 2006. Soy harvested area is estimated at 6.2 million acres, down 15 percent from a year ago.

The sugarbeet crop is forecast at 10.6 million tonnes, down 1 percent from last month and down 10 percent from the record high production level in 2006. Yield is forecast at 22.4 tonnes per acre, down 2.5 tonnes per acre from last year's record high yield of 24.9 tonnes per acre.

Nationally, soy production is forecast at 2.62 billion bushels, down 18 percent from last year's record high. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 41.4 bushels per acre, down 1.3 bushels from last year.

US sugarbeet production is forecast at 30.1 million tonnes, 12 percent below last year's production of 34.1 million tonnes. Growers expect to harvest 1.24 million acres, down 5 percent from last year. The yield is forecast at 24.2 tonnes per acre, down 1.9 tonnes from the 2006 record high yield.