USDA may revise crop numbers in March

Yesterday’s USDA corn crop estimate of 13.15 billion bushels—an increase of 230 million bushels from the November report—surprised some in the industry.  Many thought the corn number could decrease, mainly due to extended harvest delays and expected crop losses in some areas of the country.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) explains that much of the information that went into the January crop report was gathered in late November and early December.  At that time, there was still significant unharvested acreage of corn in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as Nebraska and Iowa.  Those unharvested acres and expected production were included in the totals released on Tuesday.

NASS says it will be re-contacting respondents who previously reported acreage not yet harvested.  If the newly collected data justifies any changes, NASS says it will update the January estimates in the March 10 crop production report.  That would include acreage, yield, production and stocks estimate for corn and soybeans.

The exception will be for South and North Dakota.  Since the inclement weather has persisted in those two states, producers there will be re-interviewed at a later time.