Huge Year For ND Farmers -- On Track To Be #1 Sunflower Producer In The US -- October 14, 2020

Updates

Later, 6:22 p.m. CDT: based on comments from a reader regarding corn in southern Minnesota, my hunch is that the entire midwest, Ohio west to Montana, is going to have bumper crops this year.

Original Post

North Dakota poised to be the nation's leading sunflower producer for 2020 -- the Williston Herald.  Data points:

• 1.23 billion pounds .... but look at this -- up a staggering 64% from 2019 -- if realized
• nationwide sunflower production: 2.81 billion pounds
• 1.23 / 2.81 = 44% of nation's production produced by North Dakota
• others: Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas
  
• in addition, coincidentally, the nation's total production is on track to be 44% greater than last year (2019)
• overall planting is up 10% but, again look at this: the yield is 170 pounds higher than last year -- that -- if it holds, that's one pound below the record
• sunflowers run about 2,000 pounds/acre
  
• North Dakota harvest is at 24%; well ahead of 3% last year and well ahead of the five-year 10% average
• other harvesting updates, for North Dakota:
• corn is 25% harvested, well ahead of last year's 1% and the five-year 9 percent average
• soybeans: 83% harvested; well ahead of last year's 14% and the five-year 54% average
• sugar beets: 92% harvested (compare with Montana, only 22% harvested)
• potatoes: 95% harvested; well ahead of last year's 54% and the 75% average
• dry edible beans: 96% harvested; well ahead of 50% last year, and ahead of the five-year 86% average
• finally: winter wheat planting in ND -- 91% planted, well ahead of last year's dismal 63% last year, and even ahead of the five-year 83% average
  

Looks like that little bit of global warming is just about right.