USDA Corn Report: Margin Pressure Looms Despite Record Production
The USDA's August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report has sent a warning to U.S. farmers that the cushion surrounding corn production is shrinking.
The agency estimated 2026 corn production at 16.013 billion bushels, based on 88.6 million harvested acres and a national yield of 180.7 bushels per acre.
While this sounds like a massive crop, agricultural analyst Kent Thiesse noted that the projected carryout for the 2025-26 marketing year remains larger at just over 1.94 billion bushels, compared to the reduced projection of 1.653 billion bushels for the 2026-27 marketing year.
The lower yield estimate and tighter projected carryout can change the economics of grain marketing, making demand and price performance crucial factors for farmers as they approach harvest.
Soybeans tell a somewhat different story, with the August WASDE projecting 2026 U.S. soybean production at slightly more than 4.519 billion bushels, based on 85.8 million harvested acres and an average yield of 52.7 bushels per acre.