Rain perks up Minnesota corn harvest outlook

Heron Lake corn field
Micah Rensink walks through Jason Tibodeau's corn field in rural Heron Lake, Minn.
Jackson Forderer / For MPR News

The Minnesota corn crop should be larger than first thought.

Last month, the U.S. Agriculture Department estimated the state corn crop at a hefty 168 bushels an acre. But plentiful rain and mild temperatures boosted the September forecast by 2 another bushels an acre, newly released USDA data show.

The national estimate jumped even more, up over 4 bushels an acre.

The anticipated huge harvest has depressed corn prices to below the breakeven point.

The latest forecast for Minnesota soybeans is unchanged at 42 bushels an acre. The U.S. estimate though increased more than a bushel an acre.

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