USDA: This crop is still a big one

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – Ohio is on track to set a new state corn yield record.
As of Nov. 1, Ohio’s average corn yield is forecast at 161 bushels per acre. If realized, says James Ramey, director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service office in Ohio, this would be a new state record.
Total grain production is forecast at 471.7 million bushels, up 1.5 percent from last year’s state total. Corn growers expect to harvest 2.93 million acres in 2006 compared to the 3.25 million acres harvested one year ago.
Beans holding steady. The 2006 average soybean yield for Ohio is forecast at 46 bushels per acre, also unchanged from last month’s forecast and 1 bushel above the 2005 average state yield.
Total state production is forecast at 212.5 million bushels compared to the 201.6 million bushels produced in 2005.
Harvested acreage is forecast at 4.62 million acres, up 140,000 acres from last year.
National picture. U.S. corn production is forecast at 10.7 billion bushels, down 1 percent from October and 3 percent lower than 2005.
Based on conditions as of Nov. 1, yields are expected to average 151.2 bushels per acre, 3.3 bushels higher than last year.
If realized, the yield would be the second largest on record, behind 2004.
Yield forecasts are lower than last month across much of the western and central Corn Belt and Atlantic Coast states as producers reported that actual harvest yields were not as good as expected earlier due to lower grain weight per ear.
Stalk quality and lodging problems were also reported in some areas.
Producers in the northern Great Plains, Delta States, and parts of the Southeast reported better-than-expected yields.
Compared with last year, yields are higher in all Corn Belt States, except Iowa and Minnesota.
Bumper bean crop. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 3.20 billion bushels, 5 percent above 2005.
If realized, this would be the largest U.S. soybean crop on record.
Based on Nov. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 43 bushels per acre, up 0.2 bushel from October and equal to last year’s record high yield.
Area for harvest in the U.S. is forecast at 74.5 million acres, unchanged from last month but up 5 percent from 2005.