Delaware 2013 corn crop breaks record

Last year was a banner year for Delaware farmers growing feed corn.

Even though Delaware farmers planted 5,000 fewer acres of corn in 2013 compared to 2012, the yield was up by an average of 31 bushels per acre. The record high harvest of 1666 bushels per acre is four bushels higher than the previous record yield which happened in 2000.

“Delaware’s corn harvest for 2013 proved to be outstanding, thanks to the summer rains and good crop management by our farmers,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed  Kee.

The record corn yield is not the sweet corn you’d find on your table at that summer barbecue, but rather used for animal feed and other products.

“The strong corn harvest was a bounty for our agricultural economy and for our poultry industry, which consumes most of the corn for grain grown in the First State,” Kee said.

Nationally, corn production is expected to break a record at 13.9 billion bushels, about 29 percent above the 2012 harvest. Delaware’s harvest topped the national average yield per acre by more than seven bushels.