USDA Revises Missouri Crop Production Forecast Lower

If USDA’s updated projections of a record for soybean production and near-record corn yield come to fruition, it would be in spite of lower production across Missouri.  The monthly Crop Production report released Tuesday revised the state’s projected corn and soybean production lower from September’s forecast.  Missouri’s corn yield was revised lower a second straight month, now at 164 bushels per acre.  If realized, that will put the state’s output down 1.2 percent from a year ago at 554.3 million bushels.  Harvested area is unchanged from a month ago at 3.38 million acres.  Nationwide corn production was revised higher to just over 15 billion bushels, with an estimated yield of 176.5.

A lower yield coupled with revisions to last year’s production now mean that Missouri will produce fewer soybeans this year.  USDA now pegs the state’s production at 282.5 million bushels, down 4.7 percent from last year’s revised figure of 296.3 million.  Yield is back at 50 bushels per acre, one bushel lower than last month’s estimate and the revised 2020 level.  Likewise, harvested area is unchanged from last month’s figure of 5.65 million acres.  Nationwide yield jumped to 51 bushels per acre, resulting in a potential record crop of 4.45 billion bushels.

Delays in harvest have dampened the increase in production for Missouri cotton this fall.  Bootheel farmers are now on track to harvest 830,000 bales, which is now a 21-percent increase from a year ago.  Yield slipped to 1285 pounds per acre.  Projected rice production remains unchanged from last month at 1.55 billion pounds.

Alfalfa production in Missouri fell this year by 11 percent to 528,000 tons, as yield declined to 2.4 tons per acre.  Acreage remained at 220,000 acres.  Other hay production was also down slightly at 5.8 million tons.  2.9 million acres were harvested with yield at two tons per acre.