Record Year for Wheat in Illinois

BY DANIEL GRANT, FARMWEEK

It was a bountiful year for wheat production as Illinois farmers harvested more acres compared to 2020 and produced a record yield.

The statewide yield averaged an impressive 79 bushels per acre for the 2021 season, well above the 2020 average of 68 bushels and 3 bushels above the previous record of 76 bushels in 2017, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Illinois field office reported.“Three counties actually exceeded 90 bushels per acre,” said Mark Schleusener, Illinois state statistician.

NASS released its county wheat yield estimates for 2021 this month. The top yield was in Gallatin County, with an average of 95.9 bushels per acre, followed by Ogle (92.9) and Vermilion (91.2). Rounding out the top five county yields were Kankakee and Effingham counties with averages of 89.6 and 89.4 bushels per acre, respectively.

Illinois farmers harvested 610,000 acres of wheat in 2021, up 17% from the previous year, and produced 48.2 million bushels, up 36% from 2020.

While some of the top county yield averages were in northern Illinois, the top counties for production were in the southern part of the state, where about 80% of the wheat crop is grown each year.

“As usual, Washington County led the way with 61,900 acres planted with total production of 4.75 million bushels of wheat,” Schleusener said.

Other counties in the top five for wheat production for 2021 are Randolph (2.96 million bushels), Clinton (2.8 million), Perry (2.34 million) and Monroe (1.76 million).

It was also a banner year for output of oats with a statewide average yield of 83 bushels per acre in 2021, well above the 2020 average of 58 bushels.

Illinois farmers harvested the same amount of acres (15,000) as last year, but produced 43% more oats at 1.25 million bushels.

The top county oat yield averages in 2021 were harvested in DeKalb (114 bushels per acre), Will (101.4), Iroquois (88.3), Livingston (83.4) and McDonough (82.5) counties.