Farmers in Iowa produced more than 15 per cent of U.S. corn crop
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
A book released by the Iowa Farm Bureau provides some insight into how successful Iowa producers have been in the past few years.
“The 2016 Iowa Agriculture Statistics book shows that Iowa farmers led the nation in crop production last year, with Iowa farmers accounting for more than 15 per cent of the U.S. corn crop,” the Iowa Farm Bureau says on its website.
The 119-page book includes data collected from surveys and questionnaires filled out by farmers across the state. In addition to having the largest U.S. soybean harvest in 2015, Iowa farmers produce the most pork and eggs than any other state. The book also includes crop, livestock and farm economics information.
“The most recent ag statistics highlight just how productive Iowa farms are. Yields across the state were much above average in 2015,” said Dave Miller, Iowa Farm Bureau director of research and commodity services, in a release. “Many counties recorded all-time record yields in both corn and soybeans.”
Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill said large harvests aren’t possible if Iowa’s farmers don’t adapt to the changing agricultural landscape and take care of the land.
“This degree of productivity is not possible without innovation and being good stewards of the land,” he said in the release. “The 2016 Ag Stats book quantifies what an agriculture powerhouse Iowa is, where agriculture is the engine driving the state’s economy and providing one in five Iowa jobs.”
For those interested in a copy of the book, it costs $12 and can be ordered from the Iowa Farm Bureau’s marketing and communications division.