State on track for record crop

BLOOMINGTON – Those yield results which are pouring in from the field may vary, but Illinois is definitely on track to see another record corn crop.

“For some, they’re even saying it’s almost identical to 2014. You’ll remember that’s the year we set a statewide corn yield record of 200 bushels per acre,” explained Tricia Braid of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

ICGA is hearing reports of corn coming in with a moisture of 16-17 percent which is uncommon but not unheard of at this point.

“Yields are very good,” said Bill Thornton, Illinois Corn director of value-added products. “As we have heard, they are 15 percent above average – whatever that average number is for the farmers.”

There is a pocket west of Jacksonville experiencing damaged corn. Thornton has heard reports as high as 70 percent damage in some instances.

“There is a lot of five and 10 percent damage. It appears from what I am hearing, overall yields are good and the corn is drying coming in.”

The latest weekly crop progress report for Illinois showed we are pretty much right on track with corn harvest in terms of the five-year average.

Braid says while Illinois corn farmers continue to haul a large harvest to the bins and elevators, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and Illinois Corn Growers Association will continue working to find new markets and protect existing ones for the states’ number one crop.