Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
The November crop report from USDA shows a big year for North Carolina soybeans. The yield is forecast to be 40 bushels per acre, a new state record. The previous record of 39 bushels per acre occurred in 2012.
Soybean production is forecast at 68.8 million bushels, which is 42 percent more than last year’s total. Harvested acreage is estimated at more than 1.7 million acres.
The peanut crop is also strong this year. The yield is forecast at 4,100 pounds per acre, which ties the record set in 2012. Total production on 93,000 acres is estimated at 381 million pounds, a 21 percent increase over last year.
Cotton acreage held steady this year at 460,000. But with better cooperation from the weather than in 2013, the yield is forecast to be 1,012 pounds per acre. That’s 213 pounds higher than last year’s yield and just a little lower than the record yield of 1,014, set in 2012.
The corn yield is forecast at 136 bushels per acre, down six bushels from last year’s record of 142. Some corn growers were hurt by Hurricane Arthur, which heavily damaged crops in the eastern part of the state in July.
Total corn production is down about 14 percent, to 106.1 million bushels. Lower production was expected, as growers planted less corn this year. Harvested acres are forecast to be 780,000, which is down 90,000 from a year ago.
Click on the audio player below to listen to Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda discuss this crop report.
[Audio:http://info.ncagr.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_11-18.mp3|titles=Today’s Topic for Nov. 18]
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