U.S. farmers produced their largest-ever cotton crop and second-largest corn and soybean crops in 2005, according to the Crop Production 2005 Summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

U.S. upland cotton production reached a record high for the second straight year. The 2005 crop of 23.1 million bales was 2 percent above last year’s 22.5-million-bale record. The 13.4 million acres harvested in 2005 topped last year’s acreage by 5 percent. Yields averaged 824 pounds per acre, down 19 pounds from the 2004 record.
Following last year’s record corn and soybean production, the 2005 crops were both the second largest in history. Corn produced for grain totaled 11.1 billion bushels, down 6 percent from 2004’s 11.8 billion bushels. Soybeans, meanwhile, came in at 3.09 billion bushels, 1 percent below last year’s 3.12-billion-bushel crop.

NASS estimates the 2005 average soybean yield at a record-high 43.3 bushels per acre, up 1.1 bushels from 2004. Yields increased dramatically across much of the northern U.S. growing area, reaching record highs in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York and North Dakota. Louisiana soybean producers also saw record-breaking yields.
Corn yields were the second-highest on record, averaging 147.9 bushels per acre, down 12.5 bushels from 2004. Record-high yields were realized across the northern tier states, including Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, yields in the central and southern Corn Belt and southern Great Plains were down from last year’s record highs.

In the 2005 Crop Production Summary, NASS made minor adjustments to the year-end acreage and production estimates for winter wheat, durum wheat, barley and oats. The changes are based upon updated administrative and survey data received after the Small Grains 2005 Summary was published Sept. 30, 2005.

For winter wheat, NASS recorded minor changes to acreage and production in California, Florida, Montana, South Dakota and Utah. For durum wheat, adjustments were made for Arizona and Montana. Estimates for the 2005 production and acreage of oats were revised slightly for Maine and Montana. And for barley, minor changes were made for Arizona, Maine and Montana.

Full Crop Production 2005 Summary in PDF format:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/field/pcp-bban/cropan06.pdf

The report contains year-end acreage, yield and production estimates for grains and hay; oilseeds; cotton, tobacco and sugar; dry beans, peas and lentils; and potatoes and miscellaneous crops.