August 12, 2011

US Iowa 2011 corn crop may equal 2009 record level

Iowa's corn harvest for 2011 may reach 2.43 billion bushels, a figure that would match the record it set in 2009, according to federal authorities' estimate.

The USDA says the estimate is based on August 1 conditions. Last year, 2.15 billion bushels of corn were harvested in Iowa.

The area expected to be harvested for grain is up to 13.75 million acres, compared with 13.05 million acres in 2010.

The expected yield for 2011 is 177 bushels an acre. That's 12 bushels higher than last year's production but five bushels under the record set in 2009.