AccuWeather Predicts Smaller Corn & Bean Crops Than USDA

(STATE COLLEGE, PA) The latest AccuWeather 2019 crop production analysis predicts a significant decline from last year’s corn and soybean yield, as well as a noticeable variation from the USDA estimates. While the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) projected corn production to increase to 13.9 billion bushels, on 90 million acres. Soybean production estimates dropped significantly, thanks to a reduction from an estimated 80 million acres planted to 76.7 million. AccuWeather analysts predict the 2019 corn yield will be 13.07 billion bushels, a decline of nine percent from 2018 and lower than the latest USDA figures. If realized, this would be the lowest yield since 2012, a year of a significant drought that saw final corn production numbers plummet to 10.76 billion bushels. The difference between AccuWeather and USDA estimates centers on forecasts for projected corn acres harvested, with AccuWeather analysts concerned that late-planted corn either won’t yield well or could be affected more so this year by on-time frost. AccuWeather’s projected soybean yield of 3.9 billion bushels reflects an even greater decline from last year’s final production numbers. It would be a 14 percent dropoff from the final figure of 4.54 billion bushels, and the lowest yield since 2013.