USDA is forecasting a 168 bpa yield for Michigan’s corn crop, but that yield might be a little conservative based on the findings of the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan’s Fifth Annual Between the Rows Tour.
“This is definitely the best year as far as the corn crop we have seen,” said Jim Zook, executive director of Michigan Corn. “This year, our number came in at 180 [bushels per acre] that is weighted across the state of Michigan—it’s weighted based on production within counties.”
Zook said some of the better areas he saw are in Southern and Western Michigan.
“The Thumb area wasn’t as high as what we thought they were going to be, but overall, we’re seeing an excellent crop,” said Zook. “We’re seeing very little disease pressure, very little insect pressure as well.”
The majority of Michigan’s corn is used in-state for livestock feed and ethanol. Zook said the ethanol industry as a whole and here in Michigan is trying to rebound.
“When we were at our peak, we were pushing about 35 to 38 percent of our corn crop going into ethanol production,” he said. “Now we’re probably down to about 28 to 30 percent of our corn crop, and that depends on how big that corn crop is that we harvest in Michigan. This year with the yields being good and our acreage being up, it’s going to be a smaller percentage.”
