TAYLOR RIDGE, Ill. — The USDA is forecasting record corn and soybean yields in Illinois this year. In its mid-August report, it estimates average corn yield is forecast at 225 bushels per acre in the state, up 9.2% from 2023. Soybean yields are expected to average 66 bushels per acre in Illinois, a 4.8% increase from 2023.
"Been looking fantastic," said Taylor Ridge corn and soybean farmer Phil Fuhr. "This summer has been so cool and so much abundant moisture. It's just, you couldn't write a better script for raising corn than this summer."
Before planting season began, News 8 met up with Fuhr in March to talk about his concerns for the upcoming crop. He was coming off dry conditions in 2023, but still ended up with an above average yield, but the ground was still abnormally dry in Illinois. He worried about lack of snowfall and rain across the upper Mississippi causing low river levels and impacting barge traffic.
"Actually, it was very dry going into the spring, and then we had excessive rain. We were held out from planting for quite a few weeks," he said. "We had the river flooding that affected us late, mid summer. So you don't know what to expect, but it turned out to be an ideal growing season."
His corn is still a few weeks away from reaching its maturity stage, and while both crops are in good condition, Fuhr estimates his corn yield will be slightly higher than his beans.
"We probably had a little bit too much moisture for the beans this summer," Fuhr said. "I don't want to complain about that, but I am seeing some white mold, one of the diseases from too much moisture. There's sudden death syndrome, that is another disease that's becoming prevalent in the last week, and that's typically from planting in wet, cold conditions like the spring. And the white mold that I'm starting to see is from just too much moisture and not enough heat."
While yields will be abundant, prices aren't as high as where they've been the last two years. At its peak in June 2022, USDA records show corn selling at $7.38 a bushel. In June 2024, it was $4.48 a bushel. That same month in 2022, soybeans were selling at $16.40 a bushel. In June 2024, it dropped to $11.80.
"The market's already aware that we're going to have a big crop, and it's already came down to respond to that," Fuhr said. "That's the primary reason, too much supply... Prices go up, they go down, and they can change in a short amount of time. But first and foremost is we need to raise a good crop so we have something to sell."
With high yields also, Fuhr anticipates grain storage being a challenge for farmers. Grain elevators and farmers won't have enough storage space so some corn may end up in ground piles temporarily.
The USDA is predicting a record high corn yield in Iowa too, up 4% from last year at 209 bushels per acre. Soybean yields in Iowa won't set a record but is still predicted to be up 5.2% from 2023 at 61 bushels per acre.