FOCUS ON AG

Written by Kent Thiesse

Farm Management Analyst
February 26, 2024

SOLID 2023 CROP YIELDS IN THE UPPER MIDWEST

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the estimated 2023 average
county yields for corn, soybeans, and other crops. No Upper Midwest States had record corn and soybean yields
last year; however, the 2023 statewide yield estimates were quite solid, considering the limited rainfall in much
of the region. The 2023 average yields in Nebraska and South Dakota rebounded nicely following the greatly
reduced 2022 yields from the extreme drought conditions last year. The 2023 county yield data for all crops
in every State is available on the NASS web site at: http://www.nass.usda.gov/.

Following is a brief summary of the 2023 NASS State and County corn and soybean yields in the Upper
Midwestern States:
Minnesota
NASS is estimating the 2023 average corn yield in Minnesota at 185 bushels per acre, which would be 10
bushels per acre below the record statewide corn yield of 195 bushels per acre in 2022. The 2023 corn yield also
trails the 2020 statewide corn yield of 192 bushels per acre but is well above the 2021 average corn yield of 177
bushels per acre and the 2019 yield of 173 bushels per acre. The 2023 average soybean yield in Minnesota is
estimated at 51 bushels per acre, which is above other recent statewide yields of 50 bushels per acre in 2022, 47
bushels per acre in 2021, and 49 bushels per acre in 2020. The state record soybean yield was 52 bushels per
acre in 2016.

Only six counties had average corn yields that topped 200 bushels per acre (bu./A) in 2023. By comparison,
twenty-three counties had average corn yields that exceeded 200 bushels per acre in 2022. Watonwan County
had the highest average 2023 corn yield at 209.3 bu./A, followed by Renville County at 208.3 bu./A, Jackson
County at 204.7 bu./A, Kandiyohi County at 203.7 bu./A, Cottonwood County at 202.6 bushels per acre, and
Waseca County at 201.6 bu./A. It should be pointed out that there was no individual average yield data for
Faribault and Martin counties in Southern Minnesota, both of which would have likely been near the top
counties in the State.

Ten counties in Minnesota had 2023 average soybean yields that exceeded 55 bushels per acre, as compared to
fifteen counties in the State that had soybean yields that exceeded 60 bushels per acre. Waseca County had the
highest 2023 average soybean yield at 60.7 bu./A, followed by Blue Earth County at 60.6 bu./A, Hennepin
County at 58.1 bu./A, Carver County at 57.8 bu./A, LeSueur County at 57.6 bu.A, and Watonwan County at
56.4 bu./A. Other Minnesota counties that topped 55 bu./A in 2023 were Goodhue, Rock, Nicollet, and Rice.
Similar to corn, there was no county soybean yield data for the likely high-yielding counties of Faribault and
Martin.

Iowa
Based on the NASS yield data, the estimated 2023 Iowa statewide average corn yield was 201 bushels per acre,
which slightly exceeded the 2022 average corn yield of 200 bushels per acre but trailed the 2021 state record
corn yield of 205 bushels per acre. Iowa had an average soybean yield of 58 bu.A in 2023, which is nearly the
same as 58.5 bushels per acre in 2022 but is below the record statewide soybean yield of 62 bu./A in 2021.

Boone County in Central Iowa had the highest 2023 average corn yield at 226.5 bu./A, followed by Pocahontas
County at 218.1 bu./A, Jasper County at 218 bu./A, Union County at 217 bu./A., Marshall County at 216.3
bu./A, and Hamilton County at 215.5 bu./A. Boone County also had the highest 2023 average soybean yield at
69.1 bu./A, followed by Scott County at 66.3 bu./A, Lee County at 66.1 bu./A, Cherokee County at 65.9 bu./A,
Des Moines County at 65.6 bu./A., and O’Brien County at 65.4 bu./A. Twenty- one counties in Iowa had 2023
average corn yields that exceeded 211 bushels per acre and thirty-two counties had average soybean yields that
surpassed 60 bushels per acre. It should be noted that there was no reported 2023 average yield data for some
counties.
South Dakota
NASS estimated the 2023 average corn yield in South Dakota at 152 bushels per acre, which was a significant
improvement over the drought-reduced statewide corn yield of 135 bushels per acre in both 2022 and 2021. The
statewide record corn yield was 162 bu.A in 2020. Union County in the Southeast portion of South Dakota had
the highest 2023 average corn yield at 177.9 bu./A, followed by Yankton County at 176.4 bu./A, Hamlin
County at 175.8 bu./A, Brown and Clay Counties at 175.6 bu./A, Moody County at 174.6 bu./A, and Spink
County at 171.3 bu./A. South Dakota had an estimated 2023 statewide average soybean yield of 44 bu./A,
which exceeded the 2022 statewide yield of 38 bu./A and the 2021 yield of 40 bu./A., but was below 45.5 bu./A
in 2020 and the statewide record soybean yield of 49.5 bu./A. Hamlin County had the highest average 2023
soybean yield at 50.9 bu./A, followed by Moody and Union Counties at 49.9 bu./A, Brown County at 48.4
bu./A, Marshall County at 47 bu./A, and Edmunds County at 46.8 bu./A.

North Dakota
The 2023 North Dakota average corn yield is estimated at 143 bu./A, exceeding the recent average yields of 131
bu./A in 2022 and the drought-reduced yield of only 105 bu./A in 2021. The state record average corn yield was
158 bu./A in 2016. Ransom County had the highest 2023 average corn yield at 176.2 bu./A, followed by Dickey
County at 167.5 bu./A, Lamoure County at 161.9 bu./A, Cass County at 161.3 bu./A, and Sargent County at
160.3 bu./A. North Dakota had an estimated 2023 average soybean yield of 35.5 bu./A, which was similar to the
2022 statewide average yield of 35 bu./A and compares other recent average yields of 25.5 bu./A in 2021 and
33.5 bu./A in 2020. The record statewide soybean yield was 41.5 bu./A in 2016. Dickey County had the highest
2023 soybean yield at 43.9 bu./A, followed by Sargent County at 43.7 bu./A, Oliver County at 43 bu./A,
Lamoure County at 41.5 bu./A, Slope County at 41.1 bu./A, and Ransom County at 41 bu./A.

Nebraska
The 2023 statewide average corn yield estimate is 182 bushels per acre, which is a big improvement over the
2022 drought-impacted statewide average yield of only 165 bushels per acre. The 2023 average yield also
compares to statewide yield levels of 194 bu./A in 2021 and 181 bu./A in 2020. Sixteen counties in Nebraska
had a 2023 average corn yield that exceeded 200 bushels per acre. The highest 2023 average corn yield in
Nebraska was 234.5 bu./A in Dawson County, followed by Rock County at 232.3 bu./A, Phelps County at 227.2
bu./A, Wheeler County at 225.6 bu./A, and Holt County at 223.7 bu./A. The estimated 2023 average soybean
yield in Nebraska was 51.5 bu./A, which was up from the statewide average yield of 49 bushels per acre in 2022
but was still well below the statewide record soybean yield of 63 bu./A in 2021. Nine counties exceeded 60
bu./A, in 2023 with Lincoln County topping the list at 70.7 bu./A, followed by Phelps County at 66.6 bu./A,
Wheeler County at 66.2 bu./A, Merrick County at 65.9 bu./A, and Holt County at 65 bu./A. Other counties
exceeding 60 bu./A. were Dawson, Hall, Adams and Rock Counties.

Wisconsin
NASS estimated the Wisconsin average corn yield in 2023 at 176 bushels per acre, which trails the statewide
record corn yield of 180 bu./A, set both in 2022 and 2021. The highest 2023 average corn yield in Wisconsin
was in Lafayette County at 210 bu./A, followed by Grant County at 207.8 bu./A, Pierce County at 200 bu./A,
Dodge County at 199.9 bu./A, and Milwaukee County at 197.3 bu./A., with Dane, Iowa, Fond du Lac, Racine,
and Walworth counties also exceeding 190 bu./A. Wisconsin had an estimated 2023 statewide average soybean
yield is estimated at 51 bushels per acre, which trails the 2022 average yield of 54 bu./A and the record
statewide soybean yield of 55 bu./A. in 2021. Grant County topped the Wisconsin soybean yields with a 2023
yield of 64.7 bu./A, which was followed by Lafayette County at 63.2bu./A, Dodge County at 60.1 bu./A, and
both Fon du Lac and Columbia Counties at 58.9 bu./A. Other counties exceeding soybean yields of 55 bu./A. in
2023 were Dane, Iowa, Kenosha, Manitowac, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, and Winnebago.
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Note --- For additional information contact Kent Thiesse, Farm Management Analyst, Green Solutions
Phone --- (507) 381-7960; E-mail --- kentthiesse@gmail.com