USDA Raises Corn Yield Forecast to 181.2 Bushels and Projects Record Soybean Crop

USDA’s October World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) and Crop Production reports, released on October 9, raised production forecasts for two major U.S. crops. The department lifted its projected 2026 corn yield to 181.2 bushels per acre from 178.5 in September, well above the average trade estimate of about 177.7. Corn production is now forecast at 16.034 billion bushels, potentially the second largest crop on record. Projected ending stocks for the 2026/27 marketing year jumped from 1.567 billion to 1.849 billion bushels, while the season average farm price forecast slipped from $4.80 to $4.70 per bushel.

Soybean production is forecast at a record 4.562 billion bushels, supported by a record yield of 53.1 bushels per acre, up from 52.8 in September. Soybean ending stocks rose only 5 million bushels to 315 million. The revisions matter for grain producers, livestock feed buyers, processors and commodity markets, because larger projected supplies and corn inventories influence expectations for crop availability and prices. These figures remain forecasts rather than final harvest results.