owa corn growers have had to deal with many challenges during the current growing season, mainly too much rain and flooding. Despite the excessive rains in Iowa, this year's U.S. corn crop looks like it will break both yield and production records, according to USDA's first official estimate for 2010. USDA released its numbers on August 12 in the agency's August Crop Production Report. Those estimates for corn and soybean yields and production are based on in-the-field surveys that were made around the first of August.

According to the report, corn production for 2010 in the U.S. is forecast 120 million bushels higher than last year's crop—up 2%. The yield forecast is for a 165.0 bushel per acre nationwide average. That's up 1.5 bushels from last month's USDA projection and if the August estimate actually pans out, this year's U.S. yield would be 0.3 bushels above last year's record of 164.7 bu. per acre.

In USDA's August 12, 2010 supply/demand estimates, which were released along with the crop report, the government analysts raised their estimate for domestic corn use for the 2010/11 corn marketing year by 30 million bushels--reflecting higher expected corn use for sweeteners and ethanol in the United States. Also, exports of corn are now projected at 100 million bushels higher than the July USDA projection as tighter foreign supplies of wheat and coarse grains are raising the prospects for U.S. corn shipments to overseas buyers.

USDA forecasts another record U.S. corn yield and increasing demand

"The USDA analysis, with these estimates for another big U.S. corn crop, points again to another record yield and rising demand to go with it," says Tim Burrack, a farmer from northeast Iowa and who is the currently chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. "This demonstrates that corn is truly an amazing crop!"
Getting ready for the 2010 harvest season, corn growers across the state are looking forward to strong corn markets and a strong ethanol industry, but weather will continue to be the driver as to how much corn actually comes out of the field this fall, notes Burrack.

Most farmers Wallaces Farmer editors talked to at the Iowa State Fair this week think USDA will have to lower its corn and soybean crop estimates in its September Crop Production Report, which will be released September 10. There has been a lot of flooding in Iowa since the information for the August 12 report was gathered and compiled. Those in-the-field estimates of yield were made around August 1 or so, and Iowa has had continued rain and flooding in some areas. Iowa is the nation's leading corn producing state.

U.S. soybean crop for 2010 estimated to be down slightly from 2009

The nation's farmers are expected to harvest 3.43 billion bushels of soybeans this year, according to USDA's August 12 report. That would compare with 3.359 billion bushels of beans harvested last year. USDA is forecasting a 44 bushel per acre U.S. soybean yield average in 2010, the same as last year's national yield.

For corn in Iowa, USDA says Iowa's corn planted and harvested acreage for grain is estimated at 13.3 million and 13.0 million acres respectively for 2010. As of August 1 conditions, Iowa's corn crop is forecast to yield 179 bushels per acre this year. Iowa ended up with a 182 bushel per acre state average for its 2009 corn yield. Iowa's 2010 total corn production for grain is forecast at 2.33 billion bushels, down 5% from the 2009 record high production for the state.

For soybeans in Iowa, USDA says Iowa farmers planted 10.2 million acres of soybeans in 2010 and plan to harvest 10.15 million acres. Iowa's 2010 bean yield forecast based on August 1 conditions is for 51 bushels per acre, which would be equal to 2009. Soybean production for Iowa this year is forecast at 518 million bushels, which would be up from last year's production of 486 million bushels. An Iowa soybean crop of 518 million bushels would be the second largest production on record for the state, behind 2005's largest-ever Iowa soybean harvest.

Other crops—oat production is up a bit in Iowa, alfalfa down a bit

Oat production for Iowa is forecast at 6.5 million bushels, up from 6.18 million bushels last year. The forecast yield of 65.0 bushels per acre is 2 bushels below the July 1 forecast by USDA, but equal to the state's oat yield average in 2009.

Iowa's hay yield for alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mixtures is expected to be 3.6 tons per acre in 2010 with a total production of 3.24 million tons, down 2% from 2009's Iowa crop. The yield of "other hay" in Iowa this year is projected at 2.4 tons per acre with a total production of 720,000 tons, up 4% from 2009. The August 1 apple forecast for Iowa is 3.9 million pounds, down 19% from last year.

"All USDA crop forecasts in this report are based on field and growing conditions as of August 1 and do not reflect weather effects since that time," says Greg Thessen, director of the Iowa office of USDA's National Ag Statistics Service in Des Moines. "The next corn and soybean production forecasts, based on conditions as of September 1, will be released by USDA on September 10."