USDA Revises Missouri Crop Production Forecast Lower Again

Nationwide corn remains on track for a record yield, but if it’s reached, it’ll be with fewer bushels from Missouri.  The monthly USDA Crop Production report indicates that Missouri’s corn crop will now fall below last year’s haul by 3.6 percent, at 540.8 million bushels.  The culprit is a yield revised lower from October by four bushels to 160 bushels per acre, which would be 11 bushels lower than a year ago.  Harvested acreage is still projected to increase 100,000 acres to 3.38 million.  Nationwide corn yield is set to increase to 177 bushels per acre, with projected production now at 15.06 billion bushels.

Most other Missouri crop forecasts were unchanged from October.  Soybeans remain on track for a 4.7 percent decrease, with 282.5 million bushels harvested from 5.65 million acres.  That puts yield at 50 bushels per acre, one off last year’s figure.  Nationwide yield notched slightly lower to 51.2 bushels per acre, with the new forecast 4.43 billion bushels.  Cotton harvest in the Bootheel remains set to jump 21 percent to 830,000 bales.  Meanwhile, rice harvest is now forecast to increase just over one percent to 1.57 billion pounds.  Yield was revised higher 100 pounds per acre to 8100.