Iowa farmers are expected to plant 9.7 million acres of soybeans, down about two percent compared to last year, according to the Iowa Soybean Association. Also, as of March 1st, Iowa had 328.3 million bushels of soybeans on hand, up from 258 million a year ago at this time.

Soybean producers had a record harvest last fall. Iowa’s yields were estimated at 56 bushels per acre and Washington County’s soybean yields were about 44 bushels per acre according to Meghan Anderson, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Iowa’s farmers harvested about 550 million bushels of soybeans last year.