Perry County Farmers Contribute to Second Largest Harvest on Record

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Perry County farmers weathered soggy summer conditions to produce what is expected to be the second-largest corn crop on record and the biggest soybean crop in history, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

It didn't look good at the outset for many Perry County farmers. Heavy rains forced some farmers to plant a second and third time.

Moderate temperatures and well-time rains in most of the major corn and soybean counties helped boost production.

The USDA estimates nationwide soybean production at 3.2 billion bushels, up 8 percent from last year. Yield, or the amount produced per acre, is expected to average 41.7 bushels, up 2.1 bushels from last year and the fourth best on record.

Corn production is forecast at 12.8 billion bushels, up 5 percent from last year but down 2 percent from the 2007 record. Yield is expected to average 159.5 bushels per acre, up 5.6 bushels from last year and the second-highest on record.

Corn prices for December delivery were up 5 cents Wednesday at $3.36 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, while soybeans for November delivery were up 5 cents to $10.44 a bushel.

A steady supply of corn is good news for consumers, since it is an ingredient in a large number of foods and used to feed the cattle, pigs and chickens that end up on dinner tables.

The soybean situation is a bit different, with tight supplies and strong demand. But, the soybean market affects consumers less at the grocery store than corn, he said. Soybeans are used to produce cooking oil, tofu and other soy products.

--AP contributed to this story