South Dakota Farmers to Produce Record Crop of Soybeans

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota is poised to have its highest soybean production year on record, as timely plantings, sufficient but not excessive rainfall and a late frost created the perfect climate.

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service expects the state's soybean crop this year to reach 234 million bushels, a 2 percent jump from last year.

Yield is forecast at 46 bushels per acre, another record, while South Dakota's acres for harvest remain unchanged at 5.11 million acres.

SDSU Extension's Alvaro Garcia says farmers should pay attention to upcoming elections in Argentina, which produces about 16 percent of the world's crop.

The USDA has warned that a change in government to one looking to stimulate economic growth could thrust its inventories onto the market and drive down prices.

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