On Tuesday, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office reported that corn for grain production in Nebraska based on year-end surveys is estimated at 1.58 billion bushels, up 13 percent from last year and a record high.

Yield of 178 bushels per acre is 15 bushels above last year and highest of record. Farmers harvested 8.85 million acres of corn for grain, up 4 percent from 2008.

Soybean production for 2009 totaled 259 million bushels, up 15 percent from last year and a record high. Yield, at 54.5 bushels per acre, is up 8 bushels from last year and highest of record. Area for harvest, at 4.76 million acres, is down 2 percent from 2008.

Sorghum for grain production in 2009 is estimated at 13.0 million bushels, down 32 percent from last year. Yield, at 93 bushels per acre, is up 2 bushels from 2008. Area harvested for grain was 140,000 acres, down 70,000 acres from a year ago and the lowest sorghum for grain acreage since 1952.

Hay production totaled 6.24 million tons, virtually unchanged from the previous year. Acreage harvested is 2.70 million acres, up 5 percent from 2008. Yield, at 2.31 tons per acre, is down 0.1 ton per acre from last year. Alfalfa production is down 6 percent from a year ago while all other hay production is up 9 percent.

Nationwide, U.S. corn for grain production is estimated at a record 13.2 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the November 1 forecast, and 1 percent above the previous record of 13.0 billion bushels set in 2007. U.S. grain yield is also estimated at a record level for 2009, at 165.2 bushels per acre. This is up 2.3 bushels from the November forecast and 4.9 bushels above the previous record of 160.3 bushels per acre set in 2004.

Soybean production in 2009, nationally, totaled 3.36 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the November 1 forecast and up 13 percent from 2008. U.S. production is the largest on record. The average yield per acre is estimated at a record high 44.0 bushels, 0.7 bushel above the November 1 forecast and 4.3 bushels above last year’s yield. Harvested area is up 2 percent from 2008 to a record 76.4 million acres.

Sorghum grain production in 2009, nationally, is estimated at 383 million bushels, up 5 percent from the November 1 forecast but 19 percent below 2008. Planted area is estimated at 6.63 million acres, down 20 percent from last year and is the third lowest acreage total on record. Area harvested for grain, at 5.52 million acres, is down 24 percent from 2008. Average grain yield, at 69.4 bushels per acre, is up 5.4 bushels from the previous forecast and up 4.4 bushels from last year.