Farmers post record crop for soybeans, peanuts, canola, hops

DES MOINES, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farmers have harvested record crops for soybeans, peanuts, canola, rapeseed and hops.

The agency released its annual crop production report Friday summarizing the 2017 crop year.

It shows that peanut production jumped 30 per cent to 7.2 billion pounds. Production of hops, a main ingredient in beer, grew 20 per cent as Idaho’s production surpassed Oregon’s for the first time. Washington remained the leader, producing 75 per cent of the nation’s crop.

Soybean production was at 4.39 billion bushels, up 2 per cent from the previous year as farmers planted a record 90.1 million acres.

Canola production was up 1 per cent. Rapeseed, used to make cooking oil, rose 7 per cent.

Corn production fell 4 per cent to 14.6 billion bushels on fewer planted acres. Wheat production was down 25 per cent.