USDA announces 2013 crop production estimates

Delaware farmers planted 180,000 acres of corn in 2013, down 5,000 acres from 2012. Some 174,000 acres were harvested for grain, and 5,000 acres were harvested for silage. Producers realized a record-high 166 bushels per acre, up 31 bushels from last year and four bushels above the previous record yield of 162 bushels in 2000.

Total production, at a record-high 28.9 million bushels, is up 20 percent from 2012. Silage production in 2013 was unchanged from 2012 with 85,000 tons harvested from 5,000 acres with an average yield of 17 tons per acre.

Delaware farmers planted 165,000 acres of soybeans in 2013, down 5,000 acres from 2012. Some 163,000 acres were harvested for beans with an average yield of 40 bushels per acre, down 2.5 bushels from 2012. Total production of soybeans is estimated at 6.5 million bushels.

Hay was harvested on 18,000 acres in 2013, including 6,000 acres of alfalfa and 12,000 acres of all other types of hay, up 2,000 acres from 2012.

Growers reported a yield of 3.5 tons per acre for alfalfa hay, and 3.2 tons per acre for all other types of hay in 2013. This resulted in 59,000 tons of hay produced in 2013 compared with 42,000 tons in 2012.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture also released the first forecast of 2014 winter wheat plantings.

Delaware farmers planted an estimated 65,000 acres of winter wheat this fall for harvest in 2014, down 20,000 acres from 2013.