SD Farmers Harvest 2nd Largest Corn Crop

The results are in, South Dakota farmers grew the state’s 2^nd largest corn crop on record, 787 million bushels in 2014. That news comes from today’s USDA-NASS annual crop production summary.

The second place finish for the 2014 crop during what most considered to be an excellent growing season is mostly due a large reduction in corn acres and a large increase in corn acres chopped for silage.

Here are the stats for corn grown in South Dakota during 2014:

Acres harvested – 5.32 million

• Down more than half of million from 2013

Total production: 787 million bushels

• 2^nd highest on record
• Down approximately 2.6% from a year ago
• The record corn crop from 2013 totaled 808 million bushels

Average yield – 148 bushels/acre

• 2^nd highest on record
• Up 11 bushels/acre from a year ago
• The record yield of 153 bushels/acre was set in 2009

Corn silage 400,000 acres harvested

• Up 120,000 acres from 2013

Average plant population 24,150

• Down 995 from 2013

Average ears/acre 24,450

• Down 850 from 2013

“The good Lord, fair weather and advances in equipment and seed technology allowed South Dakota farmers to grow a near-record breaking corn crop in 2014,” said South Dakota Corn Utilization Council president Mark Gross, a farmer from Bridgewater. “Our farmers have done an outstanding job of adapting to and investing in the latest technologies that allow their families to grow large, high-quality crops year after year while creating healthier soils on their farms through reduced tillage practices, the planting of cover crops and improved water management.”

Thanks to South Dakota farmers on another job well done!