Crop Diversity Evident in Final 2021 North Dakota Crop Production Numbers
Editor's Note: Please keep in mind these are 2021 crop year numbers, NOT this past summer's crop. The USDA typically makes adjustments and corrections for more than a year before recording results for historical purposes.
Corn for grain production in North Dakota based on year-end surveys is estimated at 350 million bushels, down 8% from 2021, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Yield of 131 bushels per acre is up 26 bushels from last year. Farmers harvested 2.67 million acres of corn for grain, down 26% from 2021.
Corn for silage production totaled 3.45 million tons, up 84% from 2021. Yield, at 15.0 tons per acre, is up 7.5 tons per acre from a year earlier. Area for harvest, at 230,000 acres, is down 8% from 2021. Total acreage planted for all purposes is 2.95 million acres, down 28% from last year.
Potato production is 23.0 million cwt, up 2% from 2021. Yield, at 315 cwt per acre, is up 15 cwt from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 73,000 acres, is down 2,000 acres from 2021. Total acreage planted is 74,000 acres, down 2,000 acres from last year.
Sugarbeet production is estimated at a record high 6.50 million tons, up slightly from last year. Yield is estimated at 26.1 tons per acre, down 3.1 tons from the previous year. Acres harvested are estimated at 249,000 acres, up 12% from the previous year. Total acreage planted is 251,000 acres, up 25,000 acres from last year.
Soybean production for 2022 totaled 198 million bushels, up 9% from 2021. Yield, at 35.0 bushels per acre, is up 9.5 bushels from a year earlier. Area for harvest, at 5.67 million acres, is down 20% from 2021. Total acreage planted is 5.70 million acres, down 21% from last year.
Oil sunflower production in 2022 is 1.23 billion pounds, up 71% from last year. Yield, at a record high 1,900 pounds per acre, is up 310 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 645,000 acres, is up 43% from 2021. Total acreage planted is 660,000 acres, up 43% from last year. Non-oil sunflower production of 115 million pounds is up 148% from last year. Yield, at a record high 2,170 pounds per acre, is up 720 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at
53,000 acres, is up 21,000 from 2021. Total acreage planted is 57,000 acres, up 68% from last year.
Canola production, at a record high 3.25 billion pounds, is up 41% from last year. Yield of 1,820 pounds per acre is up 480 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at a record high 1.79 million acres, is up 65,000 acres from 2021. Total acreage planted, at a record high 1.80 million acres, is up 3% from last year.
Flaxseed production is estimated at 3.40 million bushels, up 53% from 2021. Yield per harvested acre is estimated at 21.0 bushels, up 8.0 bushels from last year. Acres harvested are estimated at 162,000, down from 171,000 a year ago. Total acreage planted is 165,000 acres, down 13% from last year.
Dry edible bean production of 10.3 million cwt is up 63% from a year ago. Yield, at 1,840 pounds per acre, is up 810 pounds from a year earlier. Area harvested, at 560,000 acres, is down 9% from 2021. Total acreage planted is 570,000 acres, down 14% from last year.
Dry edible pea production is estimated at 5.43 million cwt, up 52% from 2021. Yield is estimated at 2,390 pounds per acre, up 910 pounds from last year. Acres harvested are estimated at 227,000, down 6% from a year ago. Total acreage planted is 230,000 acres, down 10% from last year.
Lentil production is estimated at 1.02 million cwt, up 9% from the previous year. Yield is estimated at 1,070 pounds per acre, up 240 pounds from last year. Acres harvested are estimated at 95,000, down 15% from 2021. Total acreage planted is 100,000 acres, down 17% from last year.
Alfalfa hay production, at 2.15 million tons, is up 159% from a year earlier. The average yield, at 1.95 tons per acre, is up 1.05 tons per acre from 2021. Area harvested for dry hay, at 1.10 million acres, is up 20% from 2021. Seedings of alfalfa during 2022 totaled 55,000 acres, up 25,000 acres from a year earlier. All other hay production, at 1.68 million tons, is up 33% from 2021. Average yield, at 1.60 tons per acre, is up 0.45 ton per acre from last year. Area harvested at 1.05 million acres, is down 5% from 2021.
Principal crop area planted totaled 21.6 million acres, down 10% from 2021. Area harvested, at 21.1 million acres, is down 7% from last year. North Dakota principal crop acres include corn, oats, barley, rye, winter wheat, durum wheat, other spring wheat, soybeans, sunflower, dry edible beans, chickpeas, potatoes, canola, sugarbeets, and all hay. Double cropped acres and unharvested small grains planted as cover crops are also included.
