Video: Record Yield For Three Crops

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-Three Mississippi row crops are expected to post record yields for the 2013 growing season, and a fourth major crop may also slightly break its previous record.

Mississippi farmers got a late start in terms of the planting phase of their operations in 2013.

“Although they got their crops in late they had ideal growing conditions for corn, fro soybeans, for cotton, across the board,” said Brian Williams, MSU Ag Economist.

What helped was having a cooler than normal summer following a cool spring. The experts say Mississippi farmers know how to manage the crop in their fields, like corn for instance.

“180 bushels per acre, that beats last year’s yields of 165 bushels per acre,” said Williams.

There was an average yield for soybeans.

“Had 43 bushels per acre for yields this year. That’s compared to 45 last year, so in the last two years again with soybeans were our top two yielding years.”

Adding benefits to farmers like new varieties and better use of technology, farmers are sporting a steady productive bottom line.

“The crop prices aren’t quite as good as last year, but historically we are still seeing good prices. And so when you combine that with the record yield, this year most farmers are very happy,” said Williams.

All and all, with major crops in Mississippi, local farmers have fared well.

Farmers experienced a slight record yield of 3 tons per acre for their hay crop. That’s up from 2.9 tons last year.