The July Feed Outlook report shows new data shape expectations for a net decrease for new-crop feed grains production, relative to the prior projections informed by the March-released Prospective Plantings report. Corn area harvested was lowered 626,000 acres to 86.8 million acres and supports a 115-million-bushel reduction in corn production. Sorghum harvested area was trimmed by 365,000 acres, resulting in a 25-million-bushel production cut. On the basis of stocks as of June 1, 2025, corn ending stocks for 2024-25 and carrying for 2025-26 are reduced by 25 million bushels. On net, new-crop corn supply is cut 140 million bushels month to month. In combination with changes for other grains, the 2025-26 U.S. feed grains supply is lowered 3.8 million metric tons to 451.8 million, the highest since 2016-17.
This month, 2025-26 U.S. corn production is projected at 15.705 billion bushels, a 115-million-bushel decrease from the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) forecast. This decrease is based on revised planted and harvested acreage expectations as reported in the June 30 release of the annual USDA – National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Acreage report. Across all U.S. states surveyed, corn-harvested area is reduced 626,000 acres as compared to the prior forecast. While area is lower as compared to the prior forecast – which was informed by the March-released NASS Prospective Plantings report – harvested area is up 3.878 million acres year to year.
All but seven states are projected to harvest more corn acres in 2025-26, as compared to 2024-25 estimates. The largest gains are anticipated for leading corn-producing states including Illinois (up 150,000 acres), Iowa (up 500,000 acres), Nebraska (up 280,000 acres) and Minnesota (up 270,000 acres). For states reporting fewer new-crop harvested acres, the collective decline totals just 394,000 acres and is more than offset by gains elsewhere. On the whole, U.S. farmers are forecast to harvest 86.774 million acres of corn, the most acres since 2013-14, when 87.461 million acres were harvested. Area left to be planted at the time of the acreage survey is estimated at 3.629 million acres, slightly higher than the 3.356 million acres reported in 2024.
NASS will provide the first survey-based corn yield projections for the 2025-26 marketing year in the August edition of the Crop Production report. Weekly Crop Progress and Conditions reports paint a picture of a generally healthy crop that is developing in line with normal pacing. For the week ending July 6, 2025, NASS reported that 74% of the 2025-26 corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition, up slightly from the prior week and six points ahead of the same week in 2024-25. Just 5% of the crop was rated very poor to poor. States where corn conditions notably lagged behind the national average included Indiana (on dryness, above-average temperatures to start July) and Texas (heavy precipitation in several areas, including south-central Texas). Across the major corn-growing regions, a generally favorable weather pattern is expected to support sufficient soil moisture through much of July and through the bulk of the critical silking or tassel development stage. As of the week ending July 6, 18% of the 2025-26 corn crop had reached the silking stage. Abundant moisture at this time generally aids development and supports yields; each silk creates a single kernel of corn, once pollinated. The more silks formed and pollinated, the more kernels of corn per cob and potentially, the greater the yield per harvested acre.
Find additional information on the USDA Feed Outlook report from July.
