The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) predicts a record corn crop.
MOLINE, Ill. — The latest corn harvest numbers could be a concern for farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) predicted a record corn crop in both yield and bushels.
“There’s just gonna be a lot of corn. This is the largest corn crop we’ve ever produced,” Steve Johnson, a retired Iowa State University Extension Specialist, said. “It means we’re going to have lower corn prices than had been projected earlier.”
However, Johnson said many farmers were proactive marketing their crop. The report expects farmers to harvest about 1.4 billion more corn bushes than last year. Predicted soybean acres have decreased. The report expects Iowa corn yields to average around 222 to 223.7 bushels per acre. In Illinois, the USDA predicts 222 bushels an acre.
Johnson said the surge in supply is due to good weather and an increase in planted acres. The USDA’s weighted average cash price, the average price for a commodity is $3.90. This is 30 cents lower than the July 2025 WASDE report. Johnson predicts the river will be busy in late September and October. He also believes there will be a need for new grain storage.
Johnson said the current predictions and price points show it is important for farmers to have a marketing plan.
“I think the good news is it’s a record corn crop, and the tough news is we’re going to have lower prices, in all likelihood for the next 8 to 12 months,” he said.
