Third Largest Soybean Crop

WASHINGTON - Jan 10/14 - SNS -- Soybean production in 2013 totaled 3.29 billion bushels, up 1% from the November 1 forecast and up 8% from 2012, according to the USDA's final production estimates for the 2013 crop.

United States production is the third largest on record. The average yield per acre is estimated at 43.3 bushels, 0.3 bushel above the November 1 forecast and 3.5 bushels above last year's yield. Harvested area is down slightly from 2012 to 75.9 million acres and is the fourth highest on record.

Compared with last year, yields were up or unchanged across most of the Corn Belt, with the exception being the northern States where a wet and cool spring led to planting delays followed by slower than normal crop development. Atlantic States from Maryland to South Carolina saw yields decline from last year due to a combination of planting delays for double crop soybeans and stretches of dry weather. Record high yields occurred in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

The 2013 soybean objective yield survey data indicate that final average pod counts were higher than last year in nine of the eleven objective yield States. Compared with last year, pod counts were up more than 200 pods per 18 square feet in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota as growing conditions were much improved.