Pro Farmer Estimates National Corn and Soybeans Yields Below USDA Forecasts

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, Aug. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pro Farmer, a division of Farm Journal, shared its much-anticipated production estimates today for the 2020 U.S. corn and soybean crops after analyzing information from the 28th annual Pro Farmer Crop Tour and other sources. The estimates are informed by Crop Tour data and observations collected this week by Crop Tour scouts across seven key Midwestern states. Wind damage caused by August Derecho impacted millions of acres of crops and contributes this year to the challenge of forecasting the U.S. crop.

Corn:  Pro Farmer estimates the 2020 U.S. corn crop at 14.820 billion bu. based on an average yield of 177.5 bu. per acre. That would be down from the United State Department of Agriculture's August estimate of 181.8 bu. per acre.

"Even before reaching Iowa, we had some suspicions about the corn crop's ability to hit a record. There is simply too much variability in the corn crop across most of the seven Crop Tour states," said Pro Farmer's Brian Grete. "It's difficult to determine how much yield and production Iowa has lost, but the state's crop has gone backward since Aug. 1, and it's still sliding."

Soybeans:  Pro Farmer estimates the 2020 U.S. soybean crop at 4.362 billion bu. with a national average yield of 52.5 bu. per acre, down from the 53.3 bu. per acre USDA estimated August 12.

"On Crop Tour, we've never seen a bean crop with so much potential and so much to lose," stated Pro Farmer's Jeff Wilson. "Plant health is great, but fields are dry and need rain to finish strong."

The Pro Farmer Crop Tour, a Farm Journal event that informs the Pro Farmer National Yield Estimates, concluded successfully Thursday. The Tour was carried out by an extraordinary group of crop scouts and sponsored by Pioneer, Pivot Bio, RCIS, Farm Credit Services of America, Smart Nutrition, Farmobile and Compeer Financial. For additional information on the 2020 Crop Tour go to www.profarmer.com and www.agweb.com.

Founded in 1973, Pro Farmer is the leading subscription-based market advisory organization in agriculture and serves members across the United States and globally.

Media Contact: Joe May, 319-268-4361 or jmay@farmjournal.com

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation's leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. Started 144 years ago with the preeminent Farm Journal magazine, the company serves the crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, enewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; conferences, seminars and trade shows; nationally broadcasted television and radio programs; a robust mobile-text-marketing business; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal also is the majority shareholder of the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture's ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

Related Images

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2020 Pro Farmer Crop Tour
Crop scouts walked fields in 7 Midwestern states this week to estimate yields for the country's 2020 corn and soybean crops. This year marks the 28th annual crop tour, which is a Farm Journal event.

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SOURCE Farm Journal