Newly released USDA county yield estimates show U.S. corn and soybean production reached record levels in 2025, with the highest yields concentrated across the central Corn Belt.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported the national average corn yield reached a record 186.5 bushels per acre last year, while soybean yields averaged a record 53 bushels per acre, according to an analysis published by farmdoc daily at the University of Illinois. Winter wheat yields averaged 54.9 bushels per acre, the second-highest on record.
Illinois led many yield categories, with several counties topping 240 bushels per acre for corn and more than 73 bushels per acre for soybeans.
Yields generally remained strongest across Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and parts of Nebraska and Minnesota. Researchers also noted a continued decline in the number of counties reporting USDA yield estimates, largely tied to lower farmer survey participation rates.
NAFB news service
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