The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its October Crop Production report, updating forecasts for major U.S. crops following a review of acreage and conditions as of November 1. Weather impacts related to a strong El Niño further amplified during October, as a swath of wetness covered
most areas west of a line from central Texas to Lake Superior, excluding northern California and the Pacific Northwest.
Ongoing tropical activity over the eastern Pacific Ocean contributed to the enhanced precipitation, as remnant moisture
associated with former Hurricanes Rachel, Simon, Trudy, and Vance was drawn northeastward in advance of various
weather systems crossing the western United States. In the Four Corners region, two late-month periods of locally
excessive rainfall, little over a week apart, led to some of the worst flooding in decades.
Corn: The 2026 area harvested for grain is forecast at 88.5 million acres, unchanged from the previous estimate but down
3 percent from last year. Production for grain is forecast at 15.9 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the previous forecast and down 6 percent from last year. If realized, this would be the second highest production for grain on record for the United States. Based on conditions as of November 1, the yield is forecast at 179.6 bushels per acre, down 1.6 bushels from the previous forecast and down 6.9 bushels from last year’s record high 186.5 bushels per acre. Record high yields are forecast in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. Ninety-five percent of the Nation’s corn crop was mature by October 18, one percentage point behind the 5-year average. On October 25, fifty-six percent of the Nation’s corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition. Seventy-four percent of the 2026 corn acreage had been harvested by November 1, three percentage points behind the 5-year average.
Oklahoma corn stats:
- Production: 45.57 million bushels
- Down 23.0% from 59.17 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 93 bushels/acre
- Down 23.8% from 122 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 490,000 acres
- Up 1.0% from 485,000 acres in 2025
Kansas corn stats:
- Production: 812.2 million bushels
- Down 13.2% from 935.25 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 124 bushels/acre
- Down 14.5% from 145 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 6.55 million acres
- Up 1.6% from 6.45 million acres in 2025
Texas corn stats:
- Production: 254.4 million bushels
- Down 12.0% from 288.9 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 120 bushels/acre
- Down 11.1% from 135 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 2.12 million acres
- Down 0.9% from 2.14 million acres in 2025
Cotton: All cotton production is forecast at 13.2 million 480-pound bales, down 2 percent from the previous forecast and
down 5 percent from 2025. Based on conditions as of November 1, yields are expected to average 775 pounds per
harvested acre, down 15 pounds from the previous forecast and down 77 pounds from 2025. Upland cotton production is
forecast at 12.8 million 480-pound bales, down 2 percent from the previous forecast and down 5 percent from 2025. Pima cotton production is forecast at 381,000 bales, down 1 percent from the previous month and down 6 percent from 2025. If realized, the forecasted yield will be a record high in Arkansas On November 1, ninety-two percent of the Nation’s cotton acreage had bolls opening, three percentage points behind the 5-year average. Sixty-three percent of the acreage had been harvested, 9 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Ginnings totaled 3,701,850 running bales prior to November 1.
Oklahoma cotton stats:
- Production: 200,000 bales
- Down 69.9% from 665,000 bales in 2025
- Yield: 300 pounds/acre
- Down 67.1% from 912 pounds/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 320,000 acres
- Down 8.6% from 350,000 acres in 2025
Kansas cotton stats:
- Production: 80,000 bales
- Down 48.4% from 155,000 bales in 2025
- Yield: 499 pounds/acre
- Down 48.3% from 966 pounds/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 77,000 acres
- Unchanged from 77,000 acres in 2025
Texas cotton stats:
- Production: 4.143 million bales
- Down 21.3% from 5.265 million bales in 2025
- Yield: 507 pounds/acre
- Down 19.4% from 629 pounds/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 3.925 million acres
- Down 2.3% from 4.019 million acres in 2025
Soybeans: Production is forecast at a record 4.57 billion bushels, up less than 1 percent from the previous estimate and up 7 percent from last year. The forecasted yield, at a record 53.3 bushels per acre, is up 0.3 bushel from last year’s final
estimate. Acreage harvested for beans is forecast at 85.9 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up
7 percent from last year. The November objective yield data for the 11 major soybean-producing States (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota) indicate a lower pod count compared with the previous year. Compared with final counts for 2025, pod counts are down in 6 of the 11 published States. Kansas showed the greatest decrease, down 358 pods per 18 square feet from the previous year.
As of November 1, eighty-eight percent of the United States soybean acreage was harvested, 4 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. At that time, harvest progress was at or ahead of the respective State 5-year average pace in 15 of the 18 States estimated in the Crop Progress report. If realized, the forecasted yield will be a record high in Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Oklahoma soybean stats:
- Production: 10.0 million bushels
- Down 1.5% from 10.15 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 20 bushels/acre
- Down 31.0% from 29 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 500,000 acres
- Up 42.9% from 350,000 acres in 2025
Kansas soybean stats:
- Production: 140.7 million bushels
- Down 28.3% from 196.425 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 30 bushels/acre
- Down 38.1% from 48.5 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 4.69 million acres
- Up 15.8% from 4.05 million acres in 2025
Texas soybean stats:
- Production: 2.945 million bushels
- Up 2.3% from 2.88 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 31 bushels/acre
- Down 3.1% from 32 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 95,000 acres
- Up 5.6% from 90,000 acres in 2025
Sorghum: Production is forecast at 274 million bushels, down 6 percent from the previous forecast and down 37 percent
from last year. Based on November 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 52.4 bushels per acre, 3.3 bushels below the previous
forecast and 20.2 bushels below the 2025 yield of 72.6 bushels per acre. By November 1, ninety-six percent of the Nation’s sorghum acreage was mature, 4 percentage points behind the 5-year average. Sixty-four percent of the acreage had been harvested at that time, 14 percentage points behind the 5-year average.
Oklahoma sorghum stats:
- Production: 15.3 million bushels
- Down 34.9% from 23.49 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 45 bushels/acre
- Down 22.4% from 58 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 340,000 acres
- Down 16.0% from 405,000 acres in 2025
Kansas sorghum stats:
- Production: 144.55 million bushels
- Down 42.6% from 252 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 59 bushels/acre
- Down 34.4% from 90 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 2.45 million acres
- Down 12.5% from 2.8 million acres in 2025
Texas sorghum stats:
- Production: 76.5 million bushels
- Down 24.0% from 100.7 million bushels in 2025
- Yield: 45 bushels/acre
- Down 15.1% from 53 bushels/acre last year
- Harvested Area: 1.7 million acres
- Down 10.5% from 1.9 million acres in 2025
