ROCHESTER, Minn., Aug 23 (Reuters) – Pro Farmer, a farm advisory service, on Friday projected U.S. 2013 corn production at a record 13.46 billion bushels, based on a yield of 154.1 bu. per acre.
The figures compare to the U.S. Department of Agriculture latest forecast of 13.763 billion bu. on a yield of 154.4 bu. per acre.
Pro Farmer forecast U.S. soybean production at 3.158 billion bu. with an average yield of 41.8 bu. per acre. Earlier this month, USDA pegged the soybean harvest at 3.255 billion bu. and yield at 42.6 bu. per acre.
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“We took 1.8 million off of harvested acres for corn and 800,000 harvested acres off of soybeans to reflect the prevented plant acres in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota,” Pro Farmer said in a statement, referring to USDA’s current acreage forecasts.
Pro Farmer released its estimate following its annual four-day crop tour, which surveyed corn and soybean fields in the top seven crop states. Those states account for 69 percent of U.S. corn production and 62 percent of soybean production in USDA’s projections for 2013.
Pro Farmer said it wanted to emphasize that the numbers it published were yield potential but that because of late developing crop probably not all that potential will be realized.
