North Carolina farmers planted more acres to soybean in 2014 and harvested beans on 1.75 million acres, or 280,000 more acres than farmers harvested in 2013. The large acreage by itself was not unusual. When combined with the advantageous weather throughout the 2014 growing season, the soy acreage produced a North Carolina record 69.2 million bushels, which is 42% more bushels than in 2013. The state average yield of 40 bushels to the acre tied the record set in 2012.
Farmers looking forward to the 2015 season have reason to be wary of a bearish tendency in commodity markets. All eyes will be on the trade and the USDA for pre-plant acreage prognostications.
