The USDA expects Nebraska’s corn harvest to yield 1.61 billion bushels this season.
That’s a new record for Nebraska. Corn producers are anticipated to bring in 169 bushels of corn per acre this year. Kelly Brunkhorst, director of research for the Nebraska Corn Board, says that’s welcome news for producers who’ve seen smaller yields the past two years.
"Planting was later in the year than when we would normally get the corn in the ground, and that kind of delayed us throughout the year. We had some late heat spells, and of course the dry weather, again, in some parts of the state that kind of really had producers questioning what the yield might be. As the combines started to roll, they were pleasantly surprised to see the amount of corn that was coming out of the fields."
Brunkhorst says 25 to 30 percent of Nebraska’s corn crop goes toward ethanol. The same amount goes to livestock feed and export markets. Five to six percent of it stays in the domestic food supply.
The USDA estimates the national corn harvest to yield 160.4 billion bushels per acre.