Kentucky Corn and Soybean Yields Are Forecast Lower

USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office

Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at 204 million bushels, down 26% from 2021. Based on conditions as of August 1, yield is estimated at 147 bushels per acre, down 45 bushels from last year. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 1.39 million acres, down 50,000 acres from 2021. The U.S. corn production is forecast at 14.4 billion bushels, down 5% from 2021. Yields are expected to average 175.4 bushels per acre, down 1.6 bushels from 2021. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 81.8 million acres, down 4% from 2021.

Soybean production for Kentucky is forecast at 110 million bushels, an increase of 7% from 2021. Yield is estimated at 54.0 bushels per acre, down 2.0 bushels from a year ago. Acreage for harvest is estimated at 2.04 million acres, up 200,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.53 billion bushels, up 2% from last year. Based on August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 51.9 bushels per acre, up 0.5 bushels from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 87.2 million acres, up 1% from 2021.

Kentucky farmers expect to harvest 32.8 million bushels of winter wheat during 2022. The expected crop for 2022 would be up 8% from the previous year. Growers expect a yield of 82.0 bushels per acre, down 5.0 bushels from 2021. Farmers expect to harvest 400,000 acres for grain. Winter wheat production for the Nation is forecast at 1.20 billion bushels, down 6% from 2021. The United States yield is forecast at 47.9 bushels per acre, down 0.1 bushels from last month and down 2.3 bushels from last year. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 25.0 million acres, down 2% from last year.

Kentucky burley tobacco production is forecast at 61.2 million pounds, down 15% from 2021. Yield is projected at 1,800 pounds per acre, down 250 pounds from the 2021 crop. Harvested acreage is estimated at 34,000 acres, down 1,000 acres from last year's crop. For the burley producing states production is forecast at 69.8 million pounds, down 17% from last year. Burley growers plan to harvest 38,900 acres, down 5% from 2021. Yields were expected to average 1,794 pounds per acre, down 261 pounds from last year.

Production of Kentucky dark fire-cured tobacco is forecast at 31.7 million pounds, up 9% from the previous year. Dark air-cured tobacco production is forecast at 14.6 million pounds, down 9% from last year. Kentucky Alfalfa hay production is forecast at 300,000 tons, 9% below the 2021 level. Other hay production is estimated at 4.33 million tons, down 17% from last year.