ONTARIO — Great Lakes Grain is projecting strong Ontario corn and soybean yields this fall — but not a provincial record. The company’s 14th annual crop assessment tour predicts average yields of 199.9 bu/ac for corn and 48.6 bu/ac for soybeans.
The current Ontario corn yield record is 200 bu/ac, set in 2021, according to Agricorp. The soybean record is 53 bu/ac, a mark reached in 2021 and 2018. The 10-year yield average is 179 bu/ac for corn and 48 bu/ac for soybeans, Agricorp reported.
The provincial yields forecasted by Great Lakes Grain, while not record-breaking, are still higher than the historical average, though “not as good as we’ve had in the last couple of years,” the company’s Jim Irvine told Farmers Forum. “I think in the higher heat unit areas, there is still a lot of potential for expanded yields,” he added.
The company’s projection is slightly more conservative than the rival Great Ontario Yield Tour, which foresees record-breaking yield for both crops: 203 bu/ac of corn on average and 53.5 bu/ac of soybeans.
“Weather has been a challenge this year,” Irvine pointed out. “The start of harvest for both crops was delayed as maturity fell behind average during a cooler than average summer. In September, fingers were crossed in the hope that the crops — especially corn — would catch up before the arrival of the season’s first frost. The delayed soybean harvest will likely cut down on the number of winter wheat acres planted after beans.”