Kentucky Ag News
USDA forecasts Kentucky corn production higher, soybean production lower
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
LOUISVILLE - Kentucky corn production is expected to increase, while soybean production is forecasted lower, according to the Crop Production report issued Aug. 12 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
“Weather conditions have been generally favorable for crops this summer,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “Flooding took some acreage in July, and disease pressure has been higher, but 2016 is shaping up to be a good year. “
Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at 247 million bushels, up 10 percent from the previous crop. Yield is estimated at 175 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from the 2015 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 1.41 million acres, up 100,000 acres from 2015. U.S. corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels, up 11 percent from 2015. Based on conditions as of Aug. 1, yields are expected to average 175.1 bushels per acre, up 6.7 bushels from 2015. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 86.6 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast but up 7 percent from 2015.
Soybean production for Kentucky is forecast at 85.9 million bushels, a decrease of 3 percent from 2015. Yield is estimated at 48.0 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel from a year ago. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 1.79 million acres, down 20,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.06 billion bushels, up 3 percent from last year. Based on Aug. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 48.9 bushels per acre, up 0.9 bushels from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 83.0 million acres, unchanged from June but up 1 percent from 2015.
Kentucky farmers expect to harvest 30.3 million bushels of winter wheat during 2016. The expected crop for 2016 would be down 6 percent from the previous year. Growers expect a yield of 74.0 bushels per acre, up 1.0 bushel from 2015 and unchanged from July. Farmers expect to harvest 410,000 acres for grain. Winter wheat production for the nation was forecast at 1.66 billion bushels, up 21 percent from 2015. The United States yield is forecast at 54.9 bushels per acre, up 1 bushel from last month and up 12.4 bushels from last year. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 30.2 million acres, down 6 percent from last year.
Kentucky burley tobacco production is forecast at 114 million pounds, up 9 percent from 2015. Yield is projected at 1,900 pounds per acre, up 100 pounds from the 2015 crop. Harvested acreage was estimated at 60,000 acres, up 2,000 acres from last year's crop. For the burley producing states, production is forecast at 150 million pounds, up 4 percent from last year. Burley growers plan to harvest 78,900 acres, unchanged from 2015. Yields were expected to average 1,900 pounds per acre, up 66 pounds from last year.
Production of Kentucky dark fire-cured tobacco is forecast at 25.7 million pounds, down 19 percent from the previous year. Dark air-cured tobacco production is forecast at 11.3 million pounds, down 18 percent from last year.
Production of hay by Kentucky farmers is forecast to be down from last year. Alfalfa hay production is forecast at 608,000 tons, 3 percent below the 2015 level. Other hay production is estimated at 5.06 million tons, unchanged from last year.
