Modest Hike in Soybean Yields

WASHINGTON - Sep 11/15 - SNS -- Soybean production is forecast at 3.94 billion bushels, up slightly from August but down 1% from last year, accordoing to the USDA's latest crop production update.

Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 47.1 bushels per acre, up 0.2 bushel from last month but down 0.7 bushel from last year. Area for harvest in the United States is forecast at a record 83.5 million acres, unchanged from August but up less than 1% from 2014.

Area for harvest is forecast at a record 83.5 million acres, unchanged from August but up less than 1% from 2014.

The September objective yield data for the combined 11 major soybean-producing States (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota) indicate a lower pod count from the previous year. However, compared with final counts for 2014, pod counts are up in 6 of the 10 published States. The largest increase from 2014's final pod count is expected in Minnesota, up 249 pods per 18 square feet. A decrease of more than 500 pods per 18 square feet is expected in Missouri.

Soybeans for Beans Area Harvested, Yield, and Production - States and United States: 2014
and Forecasted September 1, 2015
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                 :  Area harvested   :         Yield per acre          :    Production
                 :-------------------------------------------------------------------------
      State      :         :         :         :         2015          :         :
                 :  2014   :  2015   :  2014   :-----------------------:  2014   :  2015
                 :         :         :         : August 1  :September 1:         :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 :    1,000 acres       --------- bushels ---------     -- 1,000 bushels --
                 :
Alabama .........:    475       480     40.0       40.0        41.0        19,000    19,680
Arkansas ........:  3,210     3,160     50.0       53.0        53.0       160,500   167,480
Delaware ........:    183       163     48.0       46.0        43.0         8,784     7,009
Georgia .........:    290       345     40.0       42.0        44.0        11,600    15,180
Illinois ........:  9,780    10,080     56.0       53.0        54.0       547,680   544,320
Indiana .........:  5,490     5,690     56.0       49.0        50.0       307,440   284,500
Iowa ............:  9,820     9,920     51.5       52.0        53.0       505,730   525,760
Kansas ..........:  3,960     3,600     36.0       37.0        37.0       142,560   133,200
Kentucky ........:  1,750     1,840     48.0       50.0        50.0        84,000    92,000
Louisiana .......:  1,405     1,580     57.0       47.0        45.0        80,085    71,100
                 :
Maryland ........:    505       515     46.0       46.0        46.0        23,230    23,690
Michigan ........:  2,140     2,090     43.0       46.0        47.0        92,020    98,230
Minnesota .......:  7,270     7,620     42.0       48.0        47.0       305,340   358,140
Mississippi .....:  2,200     2,330     52.0       48.0        48.0       114,400   111,840
Missouri ........:  5,600     4,950     46.5       38.0        40.0       260,400   198,000
Nebraska ........:  5,350     5,150     54.0       56.0        56.0       288,900   288,400
New Jersey ......:    103       103     44.0       42.0        41.0         4,532     4,223
New York ........:    327       317     45.0       47.0        45.0        14,715    14,265
North Carolina ..:  1,730     1,830     40.0       36.0        33.0        69,200    60,390
North Dakota ....:  5,870     5,770     34.5       34.0        33.0       202,515   190,410
                 :
Ohio ............:  4,840     4,990     52.5       48.0        48.0       254,100   239,520
Oklahoma ........:    355       390     29.0       26.0        26.0        10,295    10,140
Pennsylvania ....:    605       655     49.0       47.0        46.0        29,645    30,130
South Carolina ..:    440       410     35.0       27.0        29.0        15,400    11,890
South Dakota ....:  5,110     5,060     45.0       45.0        46.0       229,950   232,760
Tennessee .......:  1,610     1,820     46.0       45.0        45.0        74,060    81,900
Texas ...........:    140        95     38.5       29.0        29.0         5,390     2,755
Virginia ........:    650       660     39.5       42.0        39.0        25,675    25,740
Wisconsin .......:  1,790     1,880     44.0       48.0        48.0        78,760    90,240
                 :
Other States 1/ .:     63        56     46.3       42.6        42.6         2,917     2,385
                 :
United States ...: 83,061    83,549     47.8       46.9        47.1     3,968,823 3,935,277
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Other States include Florida and West Virginia. Individual State level estimates will
   be published in the "Crop Production 2015 Summary."