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Corn Harvest Quality Report 2014/2015

Contents

  1. Harvest Quality Highlights
  2. Introduction
  3. Quality Test Results
  4. Moisture
  5. Chemical Composition
  6. Physical Factors
  7. Mycotoxins
  8. Crop and Weather Conditions
  9. Planting and Early Growth Conditions - Spring (March - May)
  10. Pollination and Grain Fill Conditions - Summer (June - August)
  11. Harvest Conditions (September - October +)
  12. Comparison of the 2015 Average to the 2014, 2013, and 4YA
  13. Corn Production, Usage, and Outlook
  14. U.S. Corn Use and Ending Stocks
  15. Outlook
  16. Survey and Statistical Analysis Methods
  17. Survey Design and Sampling
  18. Statistical Analysis
  19. Testing Analysis Methods
  20. Corn Grading Factors
  21. Moisture
  22. Chemical Composition
  23. Physical Factors
  24. Mycotoxin Testing
  25. U.S. Corn Grades and Conversions
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V. U.S. CORN PRODUCTION, USAGE AND OUTLOOK

A. U.S. Corn Production1

1. U.S. Average Production and Yields

  • According to the November 2014 USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, average U.S. corn yield for the 2014 crop is projected to be 10.9 mt/ ha (173.4 bu/ac). This is 0.9 mt/ha (14.6 bu/ac) higher than the 2013 corn crop and the highest average yield on record.
  • The number of hectares harvested in 2014 is projected to be 33.6 million (83.1 mil ac). This is 1.9 mil ha (4.6 mil ac) less than in 2013, which was the largest number of harvested hectares over the last 80 years. The projected 33.6 mil ha harvested in 2014 ranks sixth over the last 80 years and fifth-highest in the past 10 years.
  • Total U.S. corn production for 2014 is projected to be 366.0 mmt (14,407 mil bu). This is about 12.3 mmt (482 mil bu) higher than 2013 and the largest U.S. corn crop on record.
  • While 2014 saw slightly lower harvested hectares than in 2013, significantly higher yields in key U.S. cornproducing areas in 2014 resulted in projected record total production.

1mt – metric ton; mmt – million metric tons; ha – hectare; bu – bushel; mil bu – million bushels; ac – acre

2. ASD and State-Level Production

 

 

The geographic areas included in the Harvest Report encompass the highest corn-producing areas in the United States. This can be seen on the map showing projected 2014 corn production by USDA Agricultural Statistical District (ASD).

The record size of the 2014 corn crop was primarily driven by significantly higher production in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri compared to 2013. Of the remaining nine states, Indiana, Kansas, South Dakota and Wisconsin had slightly higher production, while Minnesota had about the same level of production, and Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio had slightly lower production.

 

The U.S. Corn Production table summarizes the differences in both quantity (mmt) and percentages between 2013 and projected 2014 corn production for each state. Also included is an indication of the relative changes in harvested acres and yield between 2013 and projected 2014. The green bar indicates a relative increase and the red bar indicates a relative decrease from 2013 to projected 2014. This illustrates that harvested acres were largely unchanged to slightly lower, with the exception of North Dakota, which experienced a 24% reduction in harvested acres. Yield changes were largely unchanged to slightly higher, with the exception of significantly higher yields in Kansas and Missouri and slightly lower yields in Kentucky.