Glacier FarmMedia — Record large corn and soybean yields are expected in the United States this year, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released Aug. 12.
The agency upped its call on 2025/26 corn yields to 188.8 bushels per acre, which compares with the July forecast of 181.0 bu./ac. and the previous record of 179.3 bu./ac. set last year. Acreage estimates were also raised, taking the total U.S. corn production estimate to 16.742 billion bushels. If realized, that would be up by nearly two billion bushels from the 13.867 billion bushels grown in 2024/25.
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For soybeans, the USDA estimated yields at a record 53.6 bu./ac. — up by 1.1 bu./ac. from July and well above the 50.7 bu./ac. average seen the previous year. However, harvested area was lowered to 80.1 million acres, from an earlier estimate of 82.5 million, resulting in a reduction in soybean production to 4.292 billion bushels. That compares with the July estimate of 4.335 billion and the year-ago level of 4.355 billion.
U.S. wheat production was estimated at 1.927 billion bushels, which would be down by only two million from July and short of the 1.971 billion bushels grown in 2024/25. Of the total, winter wheat was estimated at 1.355 billion bushels, spring wheat at 484 billion bushels and durum at 87 billion bushels. Winter wheat would be up by six million on the year and durum up by seven million bushels. However, spring wheat production was below trade estimates and compares with 542 million tonnes a year ago.
