McLean County Leads Illinois in Corn Production

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2008

BLOOMINGTON - University of Illinois Extension - McLean County is pleased to report that the United States Department of Agriculture has released county-level data for the 2007 crop year.

McLean County farmers planted 397,000 acres of corn for all purposes and harvested 394,000 acres for grain with a total production of 77,224,000 bushels, for an average yield of 196 bushels per acre. Using an average cash price during September of $3.21 per bushel, this crop would have a value of $247,889,040.

Planted soybean acres were 220,000 of which 219,000 acres were harvested for grain. Soybean production in 2007 was 11,826,000 bushels resulting in a 54 bushels per acre average yield. With an average September price for soybeans of $8.32 per bushel, soybean production in McLean County would have been valued at $98,392,320.

Wheat acreage planted for all purposes was 4,400 with 4,000 acres being harvested for grain. With our average yield of 63 bushels per acre, results from total production were 252,000 bushels. Using an average price paid to farmers in June of $4.92 per bushel, McLean County's production of wheat was valued at $1,239,840.

The total combined value of these three economically important agricultural crops to McLean County is $347,521,200.

McLean County ranks first in corn production in the state of Illinois, accounting for 3.4% of all corn produced in Illinois for the 2007 crop year. In soybean production, McLean County ranks second, with 3.4% of Illinois' total soybeans harvested.

Comparing this year to the 2006 crop year, corn acres harvested for grain were 56,400 acres or 16.7% percent greater than last year. Corn production was 15,780,800 bushels or 25.7% higher than the 2006 production of 61,443,200 bushels. Average corn yields increased by 14 bushels per acre or 7.7%. Soybean production fell by 20.4% or 3,029,400 bushels while average yields held steady at 54 bushels per acre for the fourth consecutive year. 56,100 fewer acres of soybeans were harvested, representing a 20.4% decrease. Wheat average yields fell to their lowest average since 1998, down 23% or 19 bushels per acre, while total production rose almost 6% or 14,200 bushels on the strength of 1,100 more acres harvested representing a 28% increase over 2006 acreage levels.

More information, including the last ten crop year's data, as well as three, five and ten-year averages for each of these crops, is now available from University of Illinois Extension - McLean County. Please visit our website at www.mcleanextension.org to view the McLean County data. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service has complete data for the entire state of Illinois available on their website, www.nass.usda.gov.