USDA Cuts Corn Forecast, Boosts Soybean Outlook for 2026

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its latest forecast for crop production in the United States. The outlook is mixed, with a decrease in corn production but an increase in soybean production.

The USDA projects that the national corn yield will be 178.5 bushels per acre, down from its previous estimate of 180.7 bushels per acre. This represents a decline of 2.2 bushels per acre and is part of a broader decrease in total corn production to 15.8 billion bushels.

Despite the decrease in corn production, the average farm price for corn has increased by 30 cents to $4.80 per bushel. The USDA also lowered its projected new-crop corn ending stocks to 1.56 billion bushels.

In contrast, soybean production is expected to increase, with a national yield of 52.8 bushels per acre. This would result in a record production total of 4.53 billion bushels.