Midwest Corn and Soybean Harvest Nears Completion Amidst Variable Yields and Steady Farmland Values
The Corn Belt is concluding its harvest season, characterized by strong soybean yields and more varied corn production. According to Justin Bahr, an accredited farm manager with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), soybean harvest was largely finished by mid-to-late October, while corn harvest experienced delays due to a wet September and scattered rainfall in October and early November. Bahr anticipates that corn harvest will accelerate as drier conditions become more prevalent, with many growers expected to finish by Thanksgiving. Regionally, western Iowa, southern Minnesota, and eastern Nebraska have reported robust corn yields, with some producers achieving 222 to 250 bushels per acre or more. In contrast, eastern Iowa and Illinois have seen greater variability, with some producers on high-quality land reporting corn yields 10% to 15% lower than the previous year. Factors such as tar spot pressure in parts of Nebraska and dry growing conditions in southern Minnesota have...
