NY Crop Prospects Up This Year Compared to 2012

News from the USDA:

Crop production prospects in 2013 for New York are mostly higher compared with a year earlier, according to Blair Smith, state statistician of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office. 

All forecasts in this release are based on conditions as of Aug. 1 and assume normal growing conditions throughout the remainder of the season.

Forecasts for corn for grain, soybeans, hay, oats and winter wheat are expected to be higher. Production of dry beans are expected to be lower than 2012.

New York grain corn production is forecast at 113 million bushels, up 23 percent from last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 750 thousand acres, 10 percent above a year ago. Yield is forecast at 150 bushels per acre, up 16 bushels from last year and equal to the record high set in 2010. 

Nationally, grain corn production is forecast at a record high 13.8 billion bushels, up 28 percent from 2012. Based on conditions as of Aug. 1, yields are expected to average 154.4 bushels per acre, up 31.0 bushels from 2012. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 89.1 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast but up 2 percent from 2012.

Soybean production in the Empire State is estimated at a record high 15.5 million bushels, up 8 percent from last year’s 14.4 million bushels. Acreage for harvest increased 2 percent from 312 thousand a year earlier to a record high 317,000 acres. Yields are expected to average a record high 49 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from last year.

U.S. soybean production is forecast at 3.26 billion bushels, up 8 percent from last year. Based on Aug. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 42.6 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from last year and the fifth highest on record.

New York production of alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures, at 1.13 million tons, is 25 percent above 2012. Other dry hay production is expected to total 2.53 million tons, up 47 percent from a year ago.   A sharp increase in alfalfa and other hay expected yields offset lower harvested acreage and resulted in higher production for all dry hay (alfalfa plus other hay).

Dry bean production in New York is forecast at a record low 129 thousand hundredweight (cwt), down 29 percent from the 182 thousand cwt produced last year.  Harvested acreage is expected to total a record low 7,800 acres, down 1,700 acres from 2012.  Yields are expected to average 1,650 pounds per acre, down 14 percent from last year’s 1,920 pounds. 

U.S. dry edible bean production is forecast at 24.6 million cwt for 2013, down 23 percent from last year.

New York oat production, expected to total 3.30 million bushels, is 2 percent above a year ago. Acreage for grain harvest is estimated at 55 thousand acres, up 10 percent from last year. Yields are forecast at 60 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels from 2012. 

U.S. oat production is forecast at 75.2 million bushels, 1 percent above the July 1 forecast and up 17 percent from 2012. If realized, this will be the third lowest production on record.

Winter wheat production for New York is estimated at 7.48 million bushels, up 40 percent from the 2012 crop of 5.36 million bushels. Acreage for harvest is up 29 percent to 110 thousand acres. Yields are expected to average a record high 68 bushels per acre, 5 bushels more than a year earlier.

U.S. production of all wheat is forecast at 2.11 billion bushels, up slightly from last month but down 7 percent from 2012.