Illinois Ranks as No. 1 Soy, No. 2 Corn Producing State for 2023
•January 24, 2024•
by Daniel Grant
FarmWeek
Illinois once again produced some of the largest crops of any state in the nation despite drought and other weather challenges last year, according to USDA’s crop production report re-leased Jan. 12.
Prairie State farmers produced 648 million bushels of soybeans in 2023 (down from 2022 but the most of any state nationwide) and 2.27 billion bushels of corn (up slightly from the previ-ous year and the second-most nationwide behind Iowa).
Statewide, yields averaged 206 bushels per acre for corn in 2023 (up 3 bushels from the No-vember estimate but down 8 bushels from the 2022 record) and 63 bushels for beans (up 2 bushels from November and even with last year).