Despite drought US reports high quality corn crop

Total US corn production fell in 2012 due to the worst drought in decades, but despite the drought, this year’s crop showed a year-over-year improvement in average text weight, protein levels, and density, as well as lower moisture and BCFM than the 2011 crop.

For the harvest quality report, samples of US corn were gathered from 12 states that combined are the source for 99% of US corn exports. Tests conducted on the samples cover grading factors like test weight, physical factors such as stress cracks and other items such as moisture, protein starch, oil and mycotoxins.

“The samples tested demonstrate that this year’s U.S. corn crop, while smaller due to the drought, is of outstanding quality overall,” Erick Erickson, US Grain Council’s (USGC) director of global strategies said.

Data indicates the average test weight for the 2012/13 crop was 58.8 pounds per bushel, an increase over 2011 and more than 2 pounds per bushel above the grade limit for No. 1 US corn. At the same time, broken corn and foreign material (BCFM) was lower, as were the number of damaged kernels. Moisture, at 15.3%, was also lower than last year.

“Protein numbers were generally higher, starch was marginally lower and oil content was unchanged,” Erickson said.

The frequency of stress cracks, which indicate the relative susceptibility of kernels to break up during handling, are up marginally (from 3% last year to 4% this year), which could be an indicator that the crop will be more susceptible to breakage during handling, information that may turn up in the Corn Export Cargo Quality Report in the spring.

Erickson noted that the Council’s Corn Harvest Quality Report 2012/13 only assesses the quality of the current US corn harvest as it enters merchandising channels, as quality can be affected by further handling, blending, storage conditions and other downstream factors.

This is the second year for the Council’s Harvest Report.