The September Feed Outlook report shows that corn area harvested is raised 1.356 million acres and area harvested for sorghum is raised 40,000 acres. Associated yields are lowered 2.1 bushels per acre for corn and raised 1.4 bushels for sorghum. Taken together, these changes result in production gains of 72.7 million bushels for corn and 10.7 million bushels for sorghum. These production changes combine with updates to 2024-25 corn use and related shifts in 2025-26 corn beginning stocks to support an aggregate 2.6-million-metric-ton increase in the U.S. feed grains supply. At 480.4 million metric tons, the already record-large U.S. feed grains supply continues to grow, contributing to lower grain prices compared to the year prior.
The 2025-26 marketing year for corn began on Sept. 1, 2025, though the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report (WASDE) have been reporting on “new crop” corn production prospects since May. This month, NASS released production updates (based on the results of objective yield and farmer operator surveys), in addition to a review of the latest certified acre data from the USDA Farm Service Agency and all available data. Planted and harvested area were both raised 2% from their prior estimates to 98.7 million and 90 million acres, respectively. Compared to the prior forecast and to area harvested estimates for 2024-25, acreage gains are noted for several key corn-producing states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota.
Corn yields for 2025 were lowered modestly from the August forecast, down 2.1 bushels per acre to 186.7 bushels and remain at a record-high level. Notable month-to-month yield declines are reported for Illinois (down 2 bushels per acre), Iowa (down 3 bushels), Minnesota (down 3 bushels) and Nebraska (down 1 bushel). While lowered from earlier projections, current yield estimates are at a record-high level for each of these states, except for Nebraska.
In terms of crop progress, as of the week ending Sept. 7, 95% of the 2025-26 U.S. corn crop had reached the “dough” stage, on par with the 5-year average. About three-quarters of the crop had reached the “dent” stage and compares to the average of 75%. Only about a quarter of the U.S. crop had reached the “mature” stage by week 36, and the corn harvest, at 4%, is getting started – mainly in the southern states.
Find additional information on the USDA Feed Outlook report from September.
