Year-end surveys show corn for grain production in Nebraska last year is estimated at 1.12 billion bushels, virtually unchanged from the November forecast and 19% above 2002, according to USDA’s Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Yield is estimated at 146 bushels per acre, 18 bushels above last year and second highest on record. Nebraska farmers harvested 7.7 million acres of corn for grain, up 5% from last year.
Soybean production for 2003 totaled 180 million bushels, up 2% from the November forecast and up 2% from last year, NASS figures show. This is the third largest soybean crop, behind only 2001’s record production of 223 million bushels and 1999’s production. Yield, at 40 bushels per acre, is 1.5 bushels above 2002. Area for harvest, at 4.49 million acres, is down 2% from 2002.
Sorghum for grain production in 2003 is estimated at 31 million bushels, down 2% from the November forecast but more than double the production of last year. Yield is estimated at 62 bushels per acre, up 12 bushels from last year. Area harvested for grain was 500,000 acres, up 67%, or 200,000 acres from last year.
Hay production totaled 7.6 million tons, up 28% from the previous year’s crop. Acreage harvested is 3.15 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2002. Yield, at 2.41 tons per acre, is up 0.6 ton from last year and equal to the 1999 record high. Alfalfa production is up 29% from a year ago. All other hay production is up 25%.