NEWS RELEASE

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Immediate Release:
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Nebraska Corn Board contacts:
Don Hutchens: 800.632.6761

Nebraska looking at 1.4 billion bushel corn crop

LINCOLN, NE – Generally good growing-season weather has Nebraska corn producers anticipating improved yields this year, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed – pegging Nebraska corn yields at 163 bushels per acre in its first-of-the-season crop production report today. The record yield in Nebraska is 166 bushels per acre, which was set in 2004.

When multiplied by an estimated 8.75 million harvested acres, Nebraska corn producers are looking at a 1.43 billion bushel corn crop this year, off just a bit from last year’s record 1.47 billion bushel crop. USDA said 9.0 million acres were planted in Nebraska, off about 4 percent from last year.

Nationally, USDA estimated that producers will harvest a 12.3 billion bushel crop. If realized, that would be the second largest crop on record, just behind last year’s 13.1 billion when producers harvested the most acres of corn for grain since 1933. Yields are estimated at 155 bushels per acre and would be the second-highest on record. Ending stocks were pegged at 1.1 billion bushels.

“Despite a less than favorable spring, corn producers in Nebraska and across the country have seen excellent growing weather this summer, which has helped produce these near-record estimates for corn production,” said Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “Corn farmers continue to respond to increased demand for corn by using technology, good management and hard work to meet all food, feed and fuel demands – and these numbers back that up.”

Hutchens said, “Agriculture is dynamic, and this report indicates that we’ll have more than a 1 billion bushel carryover. We’ve seen many years when the carryover, or the cushion going into the next year, was smaller, even half this size. Although Mother Nature gave us a scare early on, we are pleased with these numbers.”

The next challenge, Hutchens said, is getting this large crop in the bin, but farmers are already preparing for the harvest rush by prepping equipment and cleaning out storage facilities. “Corn farmers take pride in their work, and in their crop,” Hutchens said. “They always seem to rise to the occasion through all kinds of diversity, and it’s looking like they are doing it again this year.”

The Nebraska Corn Board is a self-help program, funded and managed by Nebraska corn farmers. Producers invest in the program at a rate of ¼ of a cent per bushel of corn sold. Nebraska corn checkoff funds are invested in programs of market development, research and education.

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