Kentucky Ag News
Kentucky soybeans still on track for record production
National Agricultural Statistics Service
LOUISVILLE – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the September Crop Production report today, showing soybean production is still forecast to be record-breaking.
“Conditions remained favorable for crops during August,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “Temperatures were cooler than normal, and we received rain throughout the month. Sept. 1, is still early to get a good read on yields, but farmers reported optimistic numbers. If realized, this will be the highest soybean yield and largest production on record.”
Soybean production for Kentucky is forecast at 98.3 million bushels, unchanged from the August forecast, but up 10 percent from 2016. Yield was estimated at 52 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month and up two bushels from a year ago. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 1.89 million acres, up 110,000 acres from 2016. As of Sept. 3, 11 percent of soybeans had dropped leaves. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.43 billion bushels, up one percent from the August forecast, but up three percent from 2016. Based on Sept. 1, conditions, yields are expected to average 49.9 bushels per acre, up 0.5 bushels from last month, but down 2.2 bushels from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 88.7 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast, but up seven percent from 2016.
Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at 215 million bushels, unchanged from the August forecast but down three percent from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 171 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month and up 12 bushels from the 2016 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 1.26 million acres, down 140,000 acres from 2016. Corn harvest reached 11 percent as of Sept. 3. The U.S. corn production is forecast at 14.2 billion bushels, up slightly from the August forecast and down six percent from last year's record production. Based on conditions as of Sept. 1, yields are expected to average 169.9 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushels from last month and down 4.7 bushels from 2016. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.5 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down four percent from 2016.
Kentucky burley tobacco production is forecast at 126 million pounds, up five percent from the August forecast and up 18 percent from 2016. Yield was projected at 2,000 pounds per acre, unchanged pounds from last month and up 250 pounds from the 2016 crop. Harvested acreage was estimated at 63,000 acres, up 2,000 acres from last year's crop. For the burley producing states, production is forecast at 161 million pounds, up 15 percent from last year. Burley growers plan to harvest 81,500 acres, up two percent from 2016. Yields were expected to average 1,970 pounds per acre, up 223 pounds from last year.
Production of Kentucky dark fire-cured tobacco is forecast at 35.7 million pounds, up 11 percent from the August forecast, but up 63 percent from the previous year. Dark air-cured tobacco production is forecast at 16.2 million pounds, up 20 percent from the August forecast, but up 111 percent from last year.
