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, 2021-22, 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 2021, Indiana ranked as follows on crops among all states: corn for grain, 5th; soybeans, 5th; peppermint, 4th; spearmint, 3rd; watermelon, 6th; and pumpkins, 2nd. In livestock, Indiana ranks 5th on all hogs (as of Dec. 1, 2021), and 3rd in all chickens (as of Dec. 1, 2021). We ranked 9th in pig crop, 4th in turkeys raised, and 2nd in total eggs produced.
Indiana farmers received $14.1 billion in cash receipts from marketings in 2021, up 31% from 2020. Marketed crops totaled $9.56 billion (68.0% of total), while livestock receipts came in at $4.50 billion, for 32.0% of the total.
Corn was the leading source of income for Indiana farmers in 2021, amounting to $5.05 billion. Soybeans were second at $3.83 billion. Meat animals were third at $1.97 billion. Poultry and eggs were fourth at $1.44 billion, followed by dairy at $833 million. These five commodity groups accounted for over 93% of cash receipts in 2021. Food grains, vegetables, and other livestock and crops (including fruit and nuts) make up the difference.
2021 Indiana cash receipts in categories by percentage were: feed crops, 36.6%; oil crops, 27.3%; meat animals, 14.0%; poultry & eggs, 10.3%; dairy, 5.9%, other crops, 2.7%, other livestock, 1.8%, food grains, 1.0%; and vegetables, 0.4%.
Indiana farmers reported lower corn and soybean yields in 2022 than the record highs reported in 2021, according to a recent report by Nathanial Warenski, State Statistician of USDA NASS, Indiana Field Office.
Indiana corn production in 2022 totaled 975 million bushels, 5 percent below 2021. Corn acreage harvested for grain totaled 5.13 million, down 3 percent from 2021. The average yield of 190 bushels per acre was 5 bushels below 2021.
Indiana soybean production totaled 335 million bushels, down slightly from 2021. Harvested acreage was 5.83 million, up 190 thousand from 2021. The average yield of 57.5 bushels per acre was 2.5 bushels below 2021.
No county-level yield data is available at this time for 2022.
According to the 2021-22 Indiana Agricultural Statistics bulletin for average crop yields in Whitley County in 2021, corn came in at 200.4 bushels per acre, soybeans were 61.1 bushels per acre, and wheat was 89.6 bushels per acre.
Among all Indiana counties for crop production in 2021, Whitley County ranked 34th in corn, 35th in soybeans, and 4th in wheat. For livestock production, Whitley County ranked 49th in number of beef cows, and 31st in number of milk cows (as of Jan. 2022).
Total ag receipts in Whitley County in 2020 totaled just over $121.5 million, with crops contributing $76.5 million, and livestock contributing just over $45.0 million.
2020 realized net income (total income minus total expenses) to Whitley County farmers was just over $36.7 million. This net was $30.3 million in 2019, 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.
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.
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 (2021-22) and past reports at: