County Crop Yield Estimates Released for Illinois

The county crop yield estimates released this week by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service offer one last telling glimpse of the extreme challenges and a few pleasant surprises that defined the 2019 season.

The first six months of the year were the wettest on record in the state and planting delays reached epic proportions, which subsequently led to record prevented plantings and reduced yields.

Crop plantings in Illinois last season totaled just 10.5 million acres of corn, down 5% from 2018, and 9.95 million acres of soybean, down 8%.

State yields averaged 181 bushels per acre for corn, down 29 bushels from the 2018 record, and 54 bushels for beans, 9.5 bushels off the previous mark.

Effingham County averaged 173.9 bushels per acre for corn and 51.5 bushels per acre for soybeans.

Area counties, and their numbers:

Clay--140.5 bushels for corn, and 40.5 bushels for beans

Jasper--174 bushels for corn, and 53.9 bushels for beans

Cumberland--161.6 bushels for corn, and 50.6 bushels for beans

Fayette--173.9 bushels for corn, and 51.5 bushels for beans

Shelby--174.9 bushels for corn, and 56.2 bushels for beans.