Nebraska 2024 Annual Crop Production Summary

LINCOLN, Neb. January 10, 2025 - Corn for grain production in Nebraska based on year-end surveys is estimated at 1.80 billion bushels, up 4% from 2023, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Yield of 188 bushels per acre is up 6 bushels from last year.

Farmers harvested 9.59 million acres of corn for grain, up 1% from 2023. Corn for silage production is 5.88 million tons, up 24% from last year. Silage yield of 21.0 tons per acre is up 4.0 tons from last year. Corn for silage harvested acreage of 280,000 acres is unchanged from last year. Corn acreage planted for all purposes is 10.1 million acres, up 1% from last year.

Soybean production for 2024 totaled 301 million bushels, up 13% from 2023. Yield, at 57.5 bushels per acre, is up 6.0 bushels from a year earlier. Area for harvest, at 5.24 million acres, is up 1% from 2023. Planted acreage totaled 5.30 million acres, up 1% from last year.

Sorghum for grain production in 2024 is estimated at 22.1 million bushels, up 35% from 2023. Yield, at 85.0 bushels per acre, is up 12.0 bushels from a year earlier. Area harvested for grain, at 260,000 acres, is up 16% from 2023. Sorghum for silage production is 149,000 tons, down 73% from last year.

 Silage yield of 8.3 tons per acre is down 5.7 tons from last year. Sorghum for silage harvested acreage of 18,000 acres is down 22,000 acres from last year. Sorghum acreage planted for all purposes is 290,000 acres, down 50,000 acres from last year.

Alfalfa hay production, at 3.48 million tons, is up 21% from a year earlier. The average yield, at 4.30 tons per acre, is up 0.90 ton per acre from 2023 and ties the record high yield from 2018. Area harvested, at 810,000 acres, is down 5% from 2023. Alfalfa haylage and greenchop production, at 160,000 tons, is down 17% from last year. Average yield, at 8.00 tons per acre, is up 3.20 tons per acre from last year. Area harvested, at 20,000 acres, is down 20,000 acres from last year. Seedings of alfalfa during 2024 totaled 90,000 acres, down 25,000 acres from a year earlier.

All other hay production, at 2.65 million tons, is up 9% from last year. The average yield, at 1.70 tons per acre, is unchanged from last year. Area harvested, at 1.56 million acres, is up 9% from 2023. All other haylage and greenchop production, at 450,000 tons, is up 34% from last year. Average yield, at 10.00 tons per acre, is up 1.60 tons per acre from last year. Area harvested, at 45,000 acres, is up 5,000 acres from last year. 

Proso millet production in 2024 is estimated at 3.18 million bushels, down 42% from last year's production. Yield, at 31.5 bushels per acre, is down 5.0 bushels from a year earlier. Area harvested for grain, at 101,000 acres, is down 33% from 2023. Area planted, at 110,000 acres, is down 29% from last year.

Oil sunflower production in 2024 is 26.4 million pounds, down 25% from last year. Yield, at 1,100 pounds per acre, is down 80 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 24,000 acres, is down 20% from 2023. Area planted, at 26,000 acres, is down 16% from last year. Non-oil sunflower production of 1.73 million pounds is down 80% from last year. Yield, at 750 pounds per acre, is down 420 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 2,300 acres, is down 5,200 acres from 2023. Area planted, at 2,300 acres, is down 73% from last year.

Sugarbeet production is estimated at 1.42 million tons, up 7% from last year. Yield is estimated at 30.5 tons per acre, up 1.9 tons from the previous year. Acres harvested are estimated at 46,700 acres, up slightly from the previous year. Area planted, at 47,300 acres, is up 500 acres from last year.

Dry edible bean production of 2.78 million cwt is up 41% from a year ago. Yield, at 2,260 pounds per acre, is up 120 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 122,800 acres, is up 33% from 2023. Area planted, at 130,000 acres, is up 30% from last year. Beginning in 2019, chickpeas are excluded from the dry edible bean estimates.

Dry edible pea production is estimated at 382,000 cwt, down 16% from 2023. Yield is estimated at 1,660 pounds per acre, down 730 pounds from last year. Acres harvested are estimated at 23,000, up 21% from a year ago. Total acreage planted is 26,000 acres, up 24% from last year. 

Potato production is 9.82 million cwt, down 8% from 2023. Yield, at 470 cwt per acre, is down 20 cwt from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 20,900 acres, is down 1,000 acres from 2023. Area planted, at 21,000 acres, is down 1,000 acres from last year. 

Principal crop area planted totaled 19.5 million acres, down slightly from 2023. Area harvested, at 19.0 million acres, is up 1% from last year. Nebraska principal crop acres include corn, sorghum, oats, rye, winter wheat, soybeans, sunflower, dry edible beans, potatoes, proso millet, sugarbeets, and all hay. Double cropped acres and unharvested small grains planted as cover crops are also included.