Final tally shows smaller 2010 Iowa corn crop

Final numbers for the 2010 corn and soybean crops released Tuesday by the Iowa office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture show the state's corn crop was smaller in 2010 than in the previous year.

Iowa farmers produced 2.2 billion bushels of corn in 2010, down from 2.4 billion bushels in 2009. The average yield also was lower at 165 bushels per acre, compared with 182 bushels per acre the previous year.

The state's corn farmers harvested 13.1 million acres last year, down from 13.3 million acres in 2009.

Linn County farmers produced 24.8 million bushels of corn in 2010, down from 28.7 million bushels in 2009. The average yield was 170.3 bushels per acre, down from 191 bushels per acre in 2009.

Johnson County farmers produced 16.1 million bushels of corn in 2010, down from 19.9 million bushels in 2009. The average yield was 150.9 bushels per acre, down from 180 bushels per acre in 2009.

Kossuth County continued to retain its position as the leading corn-producing county in the state with a production of 56.5 million bushels. Sioux and Plymouth counties had the second- and third-largest production levels at 45 million bushels and 41.4 million bushels, respectively.

Iowa farmers produced 496.2 million acres of soybeans in 2010, up from 486 million acres in 2009. The average yield was unchanged at 51 bushels per acre.

Iowa soybean farmers harvested 9.7 billion acres in 2010, up from 9.5 billion acres in 2009.

Linn County farmers produced 5.5 million bushels of soybeans in 2010, up from 5.1 million bushels in 2009. The average yield was 53.8 bushels per acre, an improvement over 50.5 bushels per acre in 2009.

Johnson County farmers produced 4.2 million bushels of soybeans in 2010, down from 4.3 million bushels in 2009. The average yield was 48.9 bushels per acre, down from 51.5 bushels per acre in 2009.

Kossuth County also retained its status as the leading soybean-producing county in the state with a production of 12.3 million bushels. Pottawattamie and Plymouth counties had the second- and third-largest production levels at 10.9 million bushels and 10.8 million bushels, respectively.