Soybean, Corn Yields in Nation, State

BY DAN GRANT

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) may need to recalibrate its production goal for the state based on the size of the current crop.

USDA this month estimated soybean production in Illinois could total nearly 601 million bushels this season.

If realized, soybean output here would set a new state record, it once again would lead the nation for at least the fourth time in five years and it would capture ISA’s production goal three years early.

ISA members in recent years worked toward a goal of breaking the 600-million-bushel barrier in statewide soybean production by 2020.

“Our goal is to utilize 600 million bushels (of beans) by 2020, and we’re really close to reaching that goal,” said Lynn Rohrscheib, ISA chairwoman and Vermilion County farmer. “It would be fantastic if we reach that before 2020 and then be able to set a new goal of utilization for soy production.”

USDA finalizes its corn and soybean production numbers in January. And a lot can happen with production estimates between now and then.

It appeared Illinois broke the 600-million-bushel mark last season with the final 2016 calendar year estimate for soybean production in the state at 623 million bushels. But the final 2016 estimate in January, came in at 593 million bushels, just below ISA’s goal, yet still good enough to lead the nation.

USDA pegged the statewide soybean yield this year at 57 bushels per acre, down 2 bushels from last year, due in part to dryness issues in August.

Planted acreage, though, is up 5 percent from a year ago at 10.6 million acres in Illinois.

Corn acreage in Illinois subsequently declined 3 percent this season to 11.2 million acres, according to USDA.

The Ag Department estimates Illinois corn farmers this year will harvest 2.12 billion bushels, down 6 percent from last year and second-most in the nation behind Iowa, with an average yield of 192 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels from 2016.

“We’ve been shocked and pleased. Our soybeans are doing better than we expected going into harvest,” said Rohrscheib, winner of this year’s Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders’ Achievement Award. “It’s exciting any time we have a crop better than anticipated.”

Nationwide, USDA estimates farmers could produce a record 4.43 billion bushels of soybeans this season, from a record 89.5 million harvested acres.

Looking ahead, Rohrscheib believes farmers can produce even more beans per acre, based on results of ISA’s ongoing statewide yield contest.

“It’s a great opportunity for farmers to get out of their comfort zone a little bit and try new things and see what they can do with our soybeans to increase yields,” she said of the yield contest.

And what will farmers do with all the extra bushels?

The livestock industry, biodiesel market and exports are vital to soybean usage.

“In Illinois, (the export market) is huge,” Rohrscheib said. “Sixty percent of the soybeans we grow are exported. We at ISA spend a lot of time keeping key touchpoints with our buyers.”