USDA boosts corn harvest from mid-year projection

WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Department of Agriculture increased corn harvested area by 4.5 million acres since its mid-2025 projection, bolstering production to record levels.

USDA’s atypical move was included in its 2025 crop production summary released Jan. 12 that also reported record U.S. corn and soybean yield averages.

Corn

Harvested corn acres was estimated at 91.258 million, the highest since 1933, and 4.5 million acres above the June acreage survey of 86.774 million. USDA plugged in 90.047 million harvested acres it its September estimate.

The largest harvested acre increases from the June planting report to the January USDA estimates were in Kansas, 800,000 acres; South Dakota, 640,000; Nebraska, 580,000; North Dakota, 550,000; Wisconsin, 240,000; and Texas, 220,000. Indiana, Illinois and Iowa June-to-January changes were minimal.

Corn for grain production in 2025 was estimated at a record high 17.021 billion bushels, up 14% from the 2024 estimate. USDA projected production of 16.752 billion bushels in November.

The average U.S. yield was estimated at a record high 186.5 bushels per acre, a half-bushel higher than the November estimate and 7.2 bushels above the 2024 yield average.

Record high yields were estimated in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Soybeans

USDA estimated the nation’s 2025 soybean production totaled 4.262 billion bushels, up from 4.25 billion in November estimate and down 3% from the 4.374 billion produced in 2024.

The national average yield per acre was estimated at a record high 53 bushels, unchanged from the November prediction and up 2.3 bushels from 2024.

Harvested area, at 80.437 million acres, was 7% lower than 2024’s 86.208 million acres. The previous forecast in November was 80.3 million harvested acres.

Record high soybean yields were estimated in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

‘I’ Corn Acreage

Although there was the unusually big jump in harvested corn acres from the June harvested acres report to USDA’s final production summary, the “I” states saw only small changes.

Illinois was unchanged at 11 million acres from September, and the June planted acres report had 10.8 million corn harvested acres.

Indiana was lowered from 5.25 million acres in the June and September estimates to 5.23 million acres in the Jan. 12 summary.

Iowa was up from 13 million acres in September to 13.2 million in January. The harvested acreage in the June plantings report was 12.95 million.

‘I’ Yields, Production

In USDA’s 2025 crop production summary, the Prairie State’s corn averaged 214 bushels per acre, matching 2022 and 3 below the 2024 record. Total production is estimated at 2.345 billion bushels, 43 million above the previous year.

Illinois soybean yields averaged 62.5 bushels per acre, producing 639.375 million bushels in 2025, after a 64-bushel average and production of 688 million in 2024.

The USDA estimated Indiana’s average corn yield at a record 204 bushels per acre, a bushel above the 2023 high-water mark. The state’s production totaled just under 1.067 billion bushels after hitting 999.9 million in 2024.

A 59.5 bushels per acre statewide average was estimated for Indiana with total production of 323.085 million bushels. In 2024, Indiana produced 341.02 million bushels with an average of 59 bushels per acre.

An average corn yield of 210 bushels per acre was plugged into Iowa’s 2025 summary, 1 bushel below 2024, resulting in production of 2.772 billion bushels, about 145 million higher than the previous year on higher acreage.

Iowa averaged a record 63.5 bushels per acre for soybeans last year, one-half bushel above the previous record set in 2021, and produced 595.63 million bushels. The state averaged 60 bushels per acre in 2024, producing 597.6 million bushels.

Survey-Based

The estimates in this report are based primarily on surveys conducted during the month of December.

The December Agricultural Survey is a probability survey that includes a sample of approximately 73,100 farm operators selected from a list of producers that ensures all operations in the United States have a chance to be selected.

Data from operators was collected by mail, internet, telephone, or personal interview to obtain information on crop acreage, yield and production for the 2025 crop year.