The USDA Agricultural Statistics Service confirmed Jan. 12 what farmers who waited in long lines at elevators this fall suspected, the 2009 corn and soybean harvest was one for the record books.
Nebraskans harvested a record high 1.58 billion bushels of corn, up 13 percent over the previous year.
A yield of 178 bushels per acre set an all time high for corn. It was 15 bushels higher than last year.
An estimated 259 million bushels of soybeans harvested also set a record.
Steve Zimmers, University of Nebraska extension specialist, credited improved hybrid plants and the growing season weather for the bumper crop.
“We may not have had an overabundance of rain, but we had rain when it was needed,” he said.
Records were also set nationally with 13.2 billion bushels of corn, 1 percent higher than the previous record set in 2007.
A soybean harvest of 3.36 billion bushels is up 5 percent over the 2006 record.
Wes Hauschild, who farms near Avoca, agrees with estimates for the record harvest.
“I’ve farmed for 41 years and it’s as good as it has ever been,” he said.
Hauschild is among the area farmers who still have crops in the field.
A combination of a wet October and a Dec. 6 blizzard sharply reduced the number of harvestable days, but Hauschild said he still expects to complete the harvest with a minimal loss.
The corn is still standing and he only needs two good days.
Hauschild said the melting last week helped lower snow levels. If there is no more snow and the ground freezes, he expects to be adding to the state harvest totals.
Long lines at grain elevators also slowed the harvest this fall.
