Corn Up, Soybeans in 2021 Summary

Corn for grain production in Minnesota for 2021 was estimated at 1.40 billion bushels, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Production 2021 Summary. Current year production was down 3 percent from the previous year’s 1.43 billion bushels. Minnesota’s corn for grain yield was estimated at 178.0 bushels per acre. Area harvested for grain was estimated at 7.84 million acres, 330,000 acres above 2020. Corn planted for all purposes in 2021 was estimated at 8.40 million acres. 

Corn for silage production was estimated at 8.55 million tons, down 11 percent from 2020. The silage yield estimate of 19.0 tons per acre was down 4.0 tons per acre from 2020. Producers harvested 450,000 acres of corn for silage, up 7 percent from 2020.  Soybean production was estimated at 356 million bushels in 2021. This was down 3 percent from last year’s 369 million bushels. The Minnesota soybean crop yielded 47.0 bushels per acre in 2021. The harvested acreage of 7.58 million was up 200,000 acres from 2020. Soybean planted acreage, at 7.65 million, was up 200,000 acres from 2020.  Harvested acres of other hay, at 420,000, were down 70,000 acres from 2020. Sugarbeet production was estimated at 12.3 million tons, up 10 percent from 2020. Producers averaged 31.0 tons per acre, up 4.9 tons from 2020. Producers harvested 396,000 acres, down 33,000 acres from 2020. 

Oil sunflower production was estimated at 89.0 million pounds, down 31 percent from 2020. Producers averaged 1,680 pounds per acre, down 13 percent from 2020.  Oil sunflower harvested area was 53,000 acres. Non-oil sunflower production was estimated at 5.18 million pounds, down 42 percent from 2020. Yield was estimated at 1,850 pounds per acre, up 3 percent from 2020. Area harvested for non-oil sunflowers was 2,800 acres. 

US corn for grain production in 2021 was estimated at 15.1 billion bushels, up 7 percent from the 2020 estimate. The average yield in the United States was estimated at a record high 177.0 bushels per acre, 5.6 bushels above the 2020 yield of 171.4 bushels per acre. Area harvested for grain was estimated at 85.4 million acres, up 4 percent from the 2020 estimate. 

Soybean production in 2021 totaled a record 4.44 billion bushels, up 5 percent from 2020. The average yield per acre was estimated at 51.4 bushels, up 0.4 bushel from 2020. Harvested area was up 5 percent from 2020 to 86.3 million acres.