SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois farmers are expected to harvest less corn this fall than last year, but soybean production is forecast to increase to a record high.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a forecast based on Sept. 1 conditions. It projects the Illinois corn harvest will be 2.07 billion bushels, an 8 percent decrease compared with 2016.
Soybean production is expected to increase 1 percent, or 600 million bushels.
Soybean yields were expected to average 58 bushels an acre, down 1 bushel from 2016. Corn yields were projected to average 189 bushels per acre, an increase of 1 bushel.
The forecast corn projection would be the third-highest on record in Illinois.
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