The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its latest Crop Production report on Thursday, forecasting a mixed picture for key U.S. crops in 2025. Corn production is projected to rise 13% from last year, reaching 16.8 billion bushels, while soybean and cotton production are expected to decline. Soybean output is forecast at 4.30 billion bushels, down 2% from 2024, and cotton production is projected at 13.2 million 480-pound bales, a decrease of 8% compared to last year.
Planted and harvested acreage for these crops was revised using certified data from the Farm Service Agency. Corn acreage is estimated at 98.7 million acres, up from previous estimates, with 90 million acres expected to be harvested, 9% more than in 2024. Soybeans are projected to be planted on 81.1 million acres, up from last month’s estimate but down 7% from 2024, with 80.3 million acres expected to be harvested. Cotton planted acreage stands at 9.3 million acres, down 17% from last year, and 7.37 million acres are expected to be harvested.
The USDA also updated yield forecasts. Corn yields are expected to average 186.7 bushels per acre, up 7.4 bushels from 2024 despite a slight decline from last month’s estimate. Record-high yields are anticipated in states including Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Soybean yields are projected at 53.5 bushels per acre, up 2.8 bushels from last year, with potential record yields in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Cotton yields are forecast at 861 pounds per harvested acre, slightly down from last month and 25 pounds below last year’s results.
As of August 31, 69% of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition, four percentage points higher than at the same time in 2024. The USDA surveyed over 7,600 producers nationwide and conducted objective yield assessments to prepare the report, providing a comprehensive snapshot of U.S. crop expectations for the coming year.
