While Nebraska farmers face a number of problems from rising input costs, low commodity prices, high property taxes and trade barriers, the one thing they can celebrate is that can constantly grow huge crops.
That was true in 2018, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
According to the USDA, Nebraska corn farmers grew a record-high 1.79 billion bushels of corn last year.
The USDA also reported a record yield of 192 bushels per acre, up 11 bushels from last year. Farmers harvested 9.31 million acres of corn for grain, up slightly from 2017.
Corn for silage production is 4.62 million tons, up 13 percent from last year. Silage yield of 21.0 tons per acre is up 1.5 tons from last year. Corn for silage harvested acreage of 220,000 acres is up 10,000 acres from last year. Corn acreage planted for all purposes is 9.60 million acres, up 1 percent from last year.
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Nebraska soybean producers also produced a record-high 333 million bushels last year. That was up 2 percent from 2017.
Soybean yield, at 59.0 bushels per acre, is up 1.5 bushels from a year earlier. Area for harvest, at 5.65 million acres, is down slightly from 2017. Planted acreage totaled 5.70 million acres, unchanged from last year.
Sorghum for grain production in 2018 is estimated at 16.0 million bushels, up 38 percent from 2017. Yield, at 94 bushels per acre, is up 5 bushels from a year earlier. Area harvested for grain, at 170,000 acres, is up 31 percent from 2017. Sorghum for silage production is 220,000 tons, unchanged from last year. Silage yield of 11.0 tons per acre is unchanged from last year.
Sorghum for silage harvested acreage of 20,000 acres is unchanged from last year. Sorghum acreage planted for all purposes is 230,000 acres, up 50,000 acres from last year.
Alfalfa hay production, at 3.66 million tons, is up 8 percent from a year earlier. The average yield, at a record high 4.30 tons per acre, is up 0.35 ton per acre from 2017. Area harvested, at 850,000 acres, is down 1 percent from 2017. Alfalfa haylage and greenchop production, at 100,000 tons, is down 25 percent from last year. Average yield, at 4.00 tons per acre, is down 2.70 tons per acre from last year. Area harvested, at 25,000 acres, is up 5,000 acres from last year. Seedings of alfalfa during 2018 totaled 120,000 acres, down 30,000 acres from a year earlier.
All other hay production, at a record high 3.33 million tons, is up 30 percent from last year. The average yield, at a record high 1.80 tons per acre, is up 0.25 ton per acre from last year. Area harvested, at 1.85 million acres, is up 12 percent from 2017. All other haylage and greenchop production, at 102,000 tons, is down 51 percent from last year. Average yield, at 6.80 tons per acre, is down 0.20 ton per acre from last year. Area harvested, at 15,000 acres, is down 15,000 acres from last year.
Other Nebraska crop production from last year:
— Proso millet production in 2018 is estimated at 2.85 million bushels, up 3 percent from last year’s production. Yield, at 32 bushels per acre, is unchanged from a year earlier. Area harvested for grain, at 89,000 acres, is up 3 percent from 2017. Area planted, at 95,000 acres, is down 10 percent from last year.
— Oil sunflower production in 2018 is 34.1 million pounds, down 8 percent from last year. Yield, at 1,420 pounds per acre, is up 120 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 24,000 acres, is down 16 percent from 2017. Area planted, at 25,000 acres, is down 17 percent from last year. Non-oil sunflower production of 13.3 million pounds is down 46 percent from last year. Yield, at 1,400 pounds per acre, is down 250 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 9,500 acres, is down 5,500 acres from 2017. Area planted, at 12,000 acres, is down 23 percent from last year.
— Sugarbeet production is estimated at 1.41 million tons, down 2 percent from last year. Yield is estimated at a record-high 31.9 tons per acre, up 0.1 ton from the previous year. Acres harvested are estimated at 44,100 acres, down 2 percent from the previous year. Area planted, at 45,500 acres, is down 600 acres from last year.
— Dry edible bean production of 3.25 million cwt is down 17 percent from a year ago. Yield, at 2,480 pounds per acre, is down 40.0 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 131,000 acres, is down 15 percent from 2017. Area planted, at 140,000 acres, is down 22 percent from last year.
— Fall potato production is 9.36 million cwt, up 4 percent from 2017. Yield, at a record-high 485 cwt per acre, is up 10 cwt from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 19,300 acres, is up 300 acres from 2017. Area planted, at 19,500 acres, is up 500 acres from last year.
