Missouri headed for near-record corn crop

SBJ Staff

Posted online August 19, 2007 | 11:00 pm

A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report projects Missouri corn farmers this year will produce the second largest corn crop on record, partly in response to demand from the emerging ethanol industry.

The state’s corn farmers are expected to produce 463 million bushels of corn this year, according to the Aug. 10 report.

Missouri growers planted 30 percent more corn than last year. Farmers plan on harvesting 3.38 million acres of the 3.5 million planted acres – the largest acreage since 1960 – and Missouri’s corn crop is estimated to yield 137 bushels per acre.

The United States’ corn production is forecast at 13.1 billion bushels, according to the report.

If realized, this year’s national corn harvest would represent the most corn acres for grain since 1933.

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