Corn for grain production in South Dakota based on year-end surveys is estimated at 567 million bushels, down 27 percent from 2018, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Yield of 145 bushels per acre is down 15 bushels from last year. Farmers harvested, or expect to harvest, 3.91 million acres of corn for grain, down 20 percent from 2018. Corn for silage production is 5.95 million tons, up slightly
from 2018. Yield of 17.5 tons per acre is up 1.0 ton from last year and a record high. Farmers
harvested 340,000 acres, down 6 percent from 2018. Total acreage planted to corn for all
purposes is 4.35 million acres, down 18 percent from last year.
Soybean production for 2019 totaled 146 million bushels, down 42 percent from 2018. Yield, at
42.5 bushels per acre, is down 2.5 bushels from a year earlier. Area for harvest, at 3.44 million
acres, is down 38 percent from 2018. Total acreage planted is 3.50 million acres, down
38 percent from last year.
Alfalfa hay production, at 4.47 million tons, is up 19 percent from a year earlier. The average
yield, at 2.35 tons per acre, is up 0.20 ton per acre from 2018. Area harvested, at 1.90 million
acres, is up 9 percent from 2018. Alfalfa haylage and greenchop at 438,000 tons, is down
3 percent from a year earlier. Average yield, at 3.50 tons per acre, is down 2.50 tons per acre
from 2018 and a record low. Area harvested, at 125,000 acres, is up 67 percent from 2018 and a
record high. Seedings of alfalfa during 2019 totaled 135,000 acres, down 35,000 acres from the
year earlier.
All other hay production, at 2.54 million tons, is up 25 percent from a year earlier. The average
yield, at 1.75 tons per acre, is up 0.40 ton per acre from last year. Area harvested, at 1.45 million
acres, is down 3 percent from 2018. All other haylage and greenchop production, at 293,000
tons, is up 44 percent from a year earlier. Average yield, at 4.50 tons per acre, is unchanged from
last year. Area harvested, at 65,000 acres, is up 44 percent from 2018.
Sorghum for grain production in 2019 is estimated at 14.0 million bushels, down 13 percent
from 2018. Yield, at 80.0 bushels per acre, is unchanged from a year earlier. Area harvested for
grain, at 175,000 acres, is down 13 percent from 2018. Sorghum for silage production is
845,000 tons, up 69 percent from 2018. Yield of 13.0 tons per acre is up 0.5 ton from last year.
Farmers harvested 65,000 acres, up 63 percent from 2018. Total acreage planted to sorghum for
all purposes is 250,000 acres, down 4 percent from last year.
Oil sunflower production in 2019 is 782 million pounds, down 11 percent from last year. Yield,
at 1,700 pounds per acre, is down 130 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 460,000
acres, is down 4 percent from 2018. Total acreage planted is 485,000 acres, down 7 percent from
last year. Non-oil sunflower production of 49.6 million pounds is down 43 percent from last
year. Yield, at 1,600 pounds per acre, is down 350 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 31,000 acres, is down 14,000 acres from 2018. Total acreage planted is 48,000 acres, down 6 percent from last year.
Proso millet production in 2019 is estimated at 1.48 million bushels, up 3 percent from last year’s production. Yield, at 38.0 bushels per acre, is up 1.0 bushel from a year earlier. Area harvested for grain, at 39,000 acres, is unchanged from 2018. Total acreage planted is 51,000 acres, up 6 percent from last year.
Dry edible pea production is estimated at 330,000 cwt, down 17 percent from 2018 and a record low. Yield is estimated at 2,200 pounds per acre, up 100 pounds from last year and a record high. Acres harvested are estimated at 15,000, down 21 percent from a year ago and a record low. Total acreage planted is 16,000 acres, down 27 percent from last year and a record low.
South Dakota flaxseed estimates have been discontinued from the NASS annual crop estimating program starting in 2019.
Safflower production is estimated at 6.90 million pounds, down 64 percent from 2018 and a record low. Yield per harvested acre is estimated at 600 pounds, down 500 pounds from last year and a record low. Acres harvested are estimated at 11,500, down 34 percent from a year ago and a record low. Total acreage planted is 13,800 acres, down 4,700 acres from last year and a record low.
Special Note: When producers were surveyed, there was significant unharvested acreage of corn in Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; and soybean acreage not yet harvested in Michigan, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The unharvested area and expected production were included in the totals published in this report.
NASS will re-contact respondents who previously reported acreage not yet harvested in these States in early spring. If the newly collected data justifies any changes, NASS will update the 2019 corn and soybean estimates published in this report. Stocks estimates are also subject to review since unharvested production is included in the estimate of on-farm stocks.