Tazewell, Stark top yield averages

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Tazewell County slipped past Piatt County with the top average soybean yield during the 2023 growing season, and Stark County repeated with Illinois’ leading corn yield average.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its county yield and production estimates Feb. 23.

Prairie State soybeans averaged 63 bushels per acre, matching the previous year, across 10.3 million harvested acres, 4% lower than 2022. Production is estimated at 649 million bushels, down 4% from 2022.

Tazewell County soybeans averaged 74.7 bushels per acre on 120,400 harvested acres, for total production of 8.994 million bushels. Tazewell County had a 71-bushel average in 2022.

Piatt County had held the top yield average distinction for three straight years.

Rounding out the top five counties yield-wise in Illinois were Piatt County, 74.2 bushels per acre; Champaign County, 72.2; McLean County, 71.8; and Stark County, 71.7.

McLean County harvested the most soybeans with 21.587 million bushels, followed by Livingston County’s 19.091 million bushels at 67.6 bushels per acre; Champaign County, 18.772 million bushels at 72.2 bushels per acre; and Iroquois County, 18.86 million bushels at 65.6 bushels per acre.

Corn

Stark County repeated as the top yielder in the state at 234.1 bushels per acre across 85,300 harvested acres for a total production of 19.97 million bushels. The county averaged 240.6 in 2022 on 84,700 acres.

Other counties in the top five for average yields were Henderson, 229.7 bushels per acre; Carroll, 229.5; Mercer, 226.6; and Macon, 225.3.

McLean County continued as the nation’s top corn-producing county harvesting nearly 70.34 million bushels cross 315,000 acres and an average yield of 223.2 bushels per acre.

Iroquois County was runner-up in total corn production at 67.765 million bushels at 216.5 bushels per acre, followed by Livingston County, 63.716 million bushels at 220.1 bushels per acre; Champaign County, 57.714 million bushels at 218.2 bushels per acre; and Bureau County, 55.652 million bushels at 223.5 bushels per acre.

Illinois corn averaged 206 bushels per acre, down 8 bushels from 2022. Production is estimated at 2.28 billion bushels, up slightly from last year. The harvested area of 11.05 million acres was up 4% from 2022.