January 23, 2009

Corn for grain production in Nebraska, based on year-end surveys, is estimated at 1.39 billion bushels, down 5% from the record high set in 2007. Yield of 163 bushels per acre is 3 bushels above last year and second highest of record. Last fallfarmers harvested 8.55 million acres of corn for grain, down 7% from 2007.

Soybean production for 2008 totaled 226 million bushels, up 15% from last year.Yield, at 46.5 bushels per acre, was down 4.5 bushels per acre from last year. Area for harvest, at4.86 million acres, is up 26% from 2007.

Sorghum for grain production in 2008 is estimated at 19.1 million bushels, down15% from last year. Yield at 91 bushels per acre is down 3 bushels from 2007. Areaharvested for grain was 210,000 acres, down 30,000 from a year ago and the lowest sorghum forgrain acreage since 1953.

Hay production totaled 6.23 million tons, up 1% from the previous year. Acreageharvested is 2.57 million acres, down 80,000 acres from 2007. Yield, at 2.42 tons per acre, is up0.1 ton per acre from last year.

Alfalfa production is down 5% from a year ago and allother hay production is up 11%.

Release, Nebraska Field Office
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service