2013 was a record-breaking year Delaware corn production.
Farmers harvested 166 bushels per acre of corn used for animal feed and other products, surpassing the old record of 162 bushels per acre was set in 2000. That yield was also up 31 bushels from 2012.
Data complied by the USDA also shows total production reached record levels at close to 29 million bushels. That was 20 percent higher than 2012.
“Delaware’s corn harvest for 2013 proved to be outstanding, thanks to the summer rains and good crop management by our farmers," said Delaware Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee in a statement. "The strong corn harvest was a bounty for our agricultural economy and for our poultry industry, which consumes most of the corn for grain grown in the First State. This is wonderful news for both grain growers and the poultry industry.”
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service also noted that while hay production was also up in Delaware, the soybean harvest in Delaware was down, and winter wheat planting estimates from this fall were down by 23 percent.
