Where did Whitley County rank recently in corn production among all other Indiana counties? What was a recent state-wide yield for soybeans? These and other questions are addressed in the annual Indiana Agricultural Statistics bulletin, recently posted online. If you are interested in a paper copy, we have a few available free of charge in the Whitley County Extension office.
Statewide in 2020, Indiana ranked as follows on crops among all states: corn for grain, 5th; soybeans, 4th; peppermint, 4th; spearmint, 2nd; watermelon, 5th; and pumpkins, 5th. In livestock, Indiana ranks 5th on all hogs (as of Dec. 1, 2020), and 2nd in all chickens (as of Dec. 1, 2020). We ranked 9th in pig crop, 4th in turkeys raised, and 2nd in total eggs produced.
Indiana farmers received $10.3 billion in cash receipts from marketings in 2020, down 2% from 2019. Marketed crops totaled $6.68 billion (64.7% of total), while livestock receipts came in at $3.65 billion, for 35.3% of the total. Corn was the leading source of income in 2020, amounting to $3.22 billion. Soybeans were second at $2.88 billion. Meat animals were third at $1.37 billion. Poultry and eggs were fourth at $1.27 billion, followed by dairy at $748 million. These five commodity groups accounted for almost 92% of cash receipts in 2020. Food grains, vegetables, and other livestock and crops (including fruit and nuts) make up the difference.
2020 Indiana cash receipts in categories by percentage were: feed crops, 31.8%; oil crops, 27.9%; meat animals, 13.2%; poultry & eggs, 12.3%; dairy, 7.3%, other crops, 3.5%, other livestock, 2.5%, food grains, 0.9%; and vegetables, 0.6%.
This is how Whitley County ranked among all Indiana counties for crops in 2020: corn, 48th; soybeans, 50th; and wheat, 8th. For livestock production, Whitley County ranked 57th in number of beef cows, and 31st in number of milk cows (as of Jan. 2021).
From the 2017 USDA Ag Census, Whitley County ranked 13th in all hogs, 56th in all sheep, 28th in chickens, and 57th in turkeys. Of the 214,764 total acres in Whitley County, 176,255 of those acres were in farms (2017 Census of Agriculture). 154,095 acres were in cropland, 3748 acres were pastureland, and 10,252 acres are woodlands. There were 696 Whitley County farms in 2017, at an average size of 253 acres/farm.
For average crop yields in Whitley County in 2020, corn came in at 159.6 bushels per acre, soybeans were 50.4 bushels per acre, and wheat was 75.2 bushels per acre.
Total ag receipts in Whitley County in 2019 totaled just over $123.6 million, with crops contributing almost $75.3 million, and livestock contributing just over $48.3 million.
2019 realized net income (total income minus total expenses) to Whitley County farmers was just over $30.3 million. This net was almost $7.1 million in 2018, almost $8.6 million in 2017, and just less than $13.40 million in 2016. In 2015, the net was a loss just shy of $1.82 million.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Indiana Field Office, publishes the Indiana Agricultural Statistics bulletin each year. It contains current and historic data for all major crops, livestock, economic and related data. Find the current (2020-21) and past reports at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana/Publications/Annual_Statistical_Bulletin/index.php.