USDA forecasts record production in 2016

Aug 15, 2016

Corn and soybean farmers expected to have bountiful harvest

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

If corn and soybean farmers keep up their current production, it will be a record harvest for both crops, the USDA reports.

According to the Department of Agriculture, growers are expected to increase corn production by 11 per cent from 2015.

“U.S. corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels,” the USDA said. “Average corn yield is forecast at 175.1 bushels per acre, setting a new record high.”

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service predicts record yields in 10 of the largest corn-producing states, including Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

The USDA expects soybeans to follow suit and have a record yield of its own.

“Soybean growers are expected to harvest 4.06 billion bushels in 2016,” the Department said. “Soybean yields are expected to average 48.9 bushels per acre, reaching another record-high mark.”

The USDA expects record soybean yields from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Not to be outdone, winter wheat is expected to have a successful harvest.

“Growers are expected to harvest 1.66 billion bushels of winter wheat this year, up 21 per cent from 2015,” said the USDA.

The total U.S. wheat yield is forecasted at 52.6 bushels per acre, up nine bushels from 2015.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.