One of the most important independent measurements of American crop production begins this week amid several challenges making it harder than ever to predict yield, one of the crucial statistics driving the agricultural economy in the Corn Belt.
The 33rd annual Pro Farmer Crop Tour, which runs from Aug.18 to 21, will send scouts out to fields in seven states to measure corn and soybean potential. It is the most thorough and most followed inspection of yield potential during a critical time in the growing season. Crop industry stakeholders watch results closely for insights around projected grain supplies and the effects on commodity markets. Observations and results of the tour will be shared nightly at in-person events throughout the week and streamed online at AgWeb.com and Farm Journal TV.
Lane Akre, Pro Farmer economist and eastern tour leader, says scouts are eager to get into fields and see how their corn yield estimates match up to USDA’s Aug. 12 crop report. In it, USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service pegs the U.S. corn crop at 16.7 billion bushels, with an average yield of 188.8 bu. per acre (bpa).
“USDA is forecasting some huge numbers, including record yields in states like Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and South Dakota, based on satellite imagery and feedback from farmer surveys that might not have been able to detect pollination or disease problems that could trim yields,” Akre says. “Once we get scouts out in these fields, we’re going to have a much better idea of the quality of this corn crop and just how big it’s going to be.”
Pro Farmer data shows that in the past 32 years USDA has raised its corn yield in August a total of 17 times, with final yields coming in below the agency’s estimate 15 of those years.
“USDA no longer collects objective yield samples in August, so Crop Tour will be the first to broadly measure ear populations and pod counts from actual fields across the Corn Belt,” says Chip Flory, “AgriTalk” host and western tour director.
“The objective is to find a representative sample of yield potential across the seven Corn Belt states. We’ll pull more than 1,600 corn and 1,600 soybean samples, which should provide significant insight into where this crop is and how it may finish. And the tour is the first organized effort that will pull the husks back on ears and try to assess some of the pollination issues talked about this summer.”
Farmer scouts and industry experts will cover fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota on the tour. A summary of findings will be presented nightly at 8 p.m. CDT, through a live-streamed broadcast hosted by Clinton Griffiths and featuring Chip Flory reporting from the western leg and Lane Akre from the eastern leg.
Each day’s official findings and results will be published on ProFarmer.com, where subscribers have exclusive access to comparative data of past tour results.
Registration is required to attend nightly meetings and to access live-streamed results each night. Registration is available at ProFarmer.com/register.
Robust daily coverage also will be delivered on AgWeb.com, Farm Journal TV, Farm Journal NOW as well as “AgDay” TV and “AgriTalk” radio at 10:06 a.m. and 2:06 p.m. CDT, to share the latest crop observations each day of the tour. Real-time reports will cascade across social media at #PFTour25.
A special edition of “U.S. Farm Report” dedicated solely to Crop Tour and hosted by Tyne Morgan will air the weekend of Aug. 23–24. Pro Farmer’s national crop production estimates will be published in the Aug. 23 issue of the Pro Farmer newsletter.
Pro Farmer and Farm Journal thank the scouts that make this event possible; platinum sponsors Pioneer, BASF and NewLeaf Symbiotics; gold sponsor RCIS; and silver sponsors Estes Performance Concaves, Farm Credit Services of America, Morton Buildings and the National Corn Growers Association.
Founded in 1973, Pro Farmer is the leading subscription-based market advisory organization in agriculture and serves members across the U.S. and Canada.
