As we get closer to the end of the harvest season, production and yields are becoming clearer in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Growers are producing more corn and soybeans than what was forecast in the September USDA Crop Production Report, but production compared to last year is a mixed bag.

Corn production in Pennsylvania is now forecast at 157 million bushels, down 3.08% from last year but up from the September forecast. The average yield is 157 bushels an acre. Growers are expected to harvest 1 million acres of corn for grain, down 60,000 acres from last year.

New York corn production is forecast at 86.8 million bushels, up slightly from last year and up from the September forecast. The average yield is 167 bushels an acre, unchanged from last year. Growers in the Empire State are harvesting 520,000 acres of grain, down 25,000 acres from last year.

Maryland’s corn production forecast is down 4.7% from last year to 70.5 million bushels, down 4 million bushels from the September forecast. Average yield was also lowered from the previous report to 155 bushels an acre. Growers are harvesting 455,000 acres of corn grain, down 5,000 acres from last year.

It’s been a banner year for corn production in Delaware. Production is forecast at 30.7 million bushels, up 6.2% from last year and up nearly 2 million bushels from the September report. Yields are an impressive 181 bushels an acre. What’s more impressive is that acres harvested, 170,000 acres, is down 10,000 acres from last year.

All states, except for Delaware, are also seeing higher soybean production than was forecast in the September report.

Pennsylvania growers will produce 29.8 million bushels, up slightly from September but down 0.67% from last year. The 49-bushel average yield matches last year’s record-breaking average. Growers are harvesting 605,000 acres of soybeans, down 5,000 acres from last year.

Maryland soybean production was raised to 23.3 million bushels, up 11.5% from last year. The average yield is 48 bushels an acre, up 9.1% from last year. Growers are harvesting 485,000 acres, up 10,000 acres from last year.

New York soybean production was raised to 15 million bushels, up 38.9% from last year. The average yield is 50 bushels an acre, up 4.2% from last year. Empire State growers are harvesting 300,000 acres, up 75,000 acres from last year.

Delaware soybean production is forecast at 6.95 million bushels, down 2.1% from last year. The average yield is 47 bushels an acre, unchanged from last year. Growers are harvesting 148,000 acres, down 5,000 acres.

New Jersey soybean production was raised to 3.6 million bushels, up 5.88% from last year. The average yield was lowered slightly to 39 bushels an acre, up 5.4% from last year. Growers are harvesting 93,000 acres, up 1,000 acres from last year.

Mixed hay, record tobacco yield

New York growers cut less alfalfa and other types of hay this season. The report shows growers harvested 560,000 tons of alfalfa hay, down 78,000 tons from last year, and 1.2 million tons of all other hay, down 25% from last year.

Pennsylvania growers harvested 915,000 tons of alfalfa hay, up 45,000 tons from last year but 23.8% less other types of hay — 1.6 million tons.

Tobacco production in Pennsylvania is down 11.1% from last year at 12.7 million pounds, but the average yield is 2,582 pounds an acre, a new record, according to USDA.

National view

Across the U.S. corn production for grain is forecast at 14.7 billion bushels, down 1% from the previous forecast but up 8% from 2019. Yields are expected to average a record high 178.4 bushels per acre, down 0.1 bushel from the previous forecast but up 10.9 bushels from last year.

Area harvested for grain is forecast at 82.5 million acres, down 1% from the previous forecast but up 1% from the previous year.

Soybean production is forecast at 4.27 billion bushels, down 1% from the previous forecast but up 20% from last year. Yields are expected to average a record high 51.9 bushels per harvested acre, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 4.5 bushels from last year.

Area harvested for beans in the U.S. is forecast at 82.3 million acres, down 1% from the previous forecast but up 10% from 2019.