News

Early soybean yields point to smaller crop than USDA is forecasting

A market analyst suspects early soybean yields are indicative of a crop that’s going to be smaller than USDA is anticipating.

Global Commodity Analytics president Mike Zuzolo says that’s even with a recently reduced national yield estimate of under 48 bushels per acre.

“I actually think that number could shrink 2 to maybe even 4 bushels if these early yields come in as the later yields do as well.”

He tells Brownfield an Illinois farmer close to the Indiana border who had good growing conditions called him in late September reporting soybean yields in the 80’s.

“That was a week ago. Today he called me and said he had about 1,100 acres of soybeans done and is pushing a 67 bushel average. So I think I hear more of that in soybeans (because( they just didn’t get a chance, laying in wet feet too long, not being able to mature out enough.”

Zuzolo says the USDA yield estimate for corn is also probably too high.  He’s looking for a national average closer to 165 based on what he’s hearing from farmers.