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Corn and soybean ratings tumble in Pennsylvania, much better in neighboring states.

Chris Torres, Editor, American Agriculturist

September 16, 2020

3 Min Read
Corn field
CORN REBOUNDS: Timely rains helped the corn crop, especially in the southeast part of Pennsylvania, recover from warmer-than-normal temperatures in July. Still, average yields are down 5.6% from last year. Chris Torres

USDA raised its corn and soybean production forecast for most Northeast states in its Sept. 11 Crop Production Report.

Corn production is now forecast at 153 million bushels in Pennsylvania, down 5.6% from last year but up from the August forecast. The condition is not great, though. Monday’s Crop Progress Report rated corn at 36% good or excellent, down seven points from the week before; 39% fair and 25% poor or very poor.

About 17% of the crop has matured, behind the 28% five-year average. Silage is 44% harvested, behind last year’s pace of 62%.

Soybeans are 44% good or excellent, down six points from the week before; 35% fair and 21% poor or very poor.

New York corn production was unchanged from the August forecast at 82.6 million bushels, down 4.06% from last year. Crop condition is better, though, at 68% good or excellent, 22% fair and 10% poor or very poor. Soybeans are 60% good or excellent, 28% fair and 12% poor or very poor.

Maryland’s corn production forecast is up slightly from August at 74.16 million bushels and up 0.14% from last year. Quality is good with 79% of the crop rated good or excellent, 21% fair. Soybeans are 85% good or excellent, 14% fair and 1% poor.

Delaware corn production is unchanged from the August forecast at 28.9 million bushels, down 0.27% from last year. Corn is rated 75% good or excellent, 25% fair. Soybeans are rated 77% good or excellent, 23% fair.

Yield forecasts were raised in Maryland, now 163 bushels an acre, and Pennsylvania, now 153 bushels an acre, but unchanged in Delaware and New York, 170 bushels and 167 bushels, respectively.

Soybean production was raised slightly in Pennsylvania from the August forecast at 29.6 million bushels, down 0.67% from last year. Maryland soybean production was also raised slightly to 20.3 million bushels, down 2.87% from last year.

New York soybean production was lowered to 13.7 million bushels, still up 26.8% from last year. Delaware soybean production was lowered to 6.95 million bushels, down 3.3% from last year. New Jersey soybean production is unchanged at 3.19 million bushels.

Soybean yields were raised from the August forecast in Maryland and Pennsylvania, 49 bushels an acre in both states; lowered in Delaware and New York, 47 bushels and 49 bushels; and unchanged in New Jersey, 41 bushels.

The graphic below illustrates corn and soybean production, and yields, in the four major corn and soybean states of the region.

 

September corn and soybean production table

National view

U.S. corn production is forecast at 14.9 billion bushels, down 2% from the previous forecast but up 9% from 2019. Yields are expected to average a record high 178.5 bushels per acre, down 3.3 bushels from the previous forecast but up 11.1 bushels from last year.

Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.5 million acres, down 1% from the previous forecast but up 3% from last year.

Soybean production is forecast at 4.31 billion bushels, down 3% from the previous forecast but up 21% from last year. Yields are expected to average a record high 51.9 bushels an acre, down 1.4 bushels from the previous forecast but up 4.5 bushels from 2019.

Area harvested for beans is forecast at 83 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 11% from 2019.

Read more about:

Corn Silage

About the Author(s)

Chris Torres

Editor, American Agriculturist

Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist, previously worked at Lancaster Farming, where he started in 2006 as a staff writer and later became regional editor. Torres is a seven-time winner of the Keystone Press Awards, handed out by the Pennsylvania Press Association, and he is a Pennsylvania State University graduate.

Torres says he wants American Agriculturist to be farmers' "go-to product, continuing the legacy and high standard (former American Agriculturist editor) John Vogel has set." Torres succeeds Vogel, who retired after 47 years with Farm Progress and its related publications.

"The news business is a challenging job," Torres says. "It makes you think outside your small box, and you have to formulate what the reader wants to see from the overall product. It's rewarding to see a nice product in the end."

Torres' family is based in Lebanon County, Pa. His wife grew up on a small farm in Berks County, Pa., where they raised corn, soybeans, feeder cattle and more. Torres and his wife are parents to three young boys.

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