In anticipation of rollout events around the world showcasing the quality of U.S. corn, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) released this week the 2021/2022 Corn Harvest Quality Report that revealed this year’s corn crop has a higher average test weight and lower total damage and stress cracks compared to the previous five crops.

“The Council has been providing the report every year for the last 11 years,” said Dr. Kyle Gilliam, USGC manager of global strategies and trade. “Our reports consistently show that the U.S. produces an abundance of good quality corn. This year’s report is no different with this crop being one of the better crops since we started our report in 2011.”

The report, based on 610 samples taken from defined areas within 12 of the top corn-producing and exporting states, showed the 2021 crop was planted earlier than average and experienced a mostly warm growing season. Overall, 65 percent of the crop rated a good or excellent condition, nearing record-high yields.

The average aggregate quality of the representative samples tested was better than the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 1 grade. The report also showed that 90 percent of the samples met the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 1 grade and 98 percent met the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 2.

This year’s crop also showed lower average broken corn and foreign material (BCFM) than the five-year average; lower average total damage than the five-year average; and a similar average moisture content compared to the five-year average. The crop also showed lower-than-average protein concentration than the five-year average; lower average stress cracks than 2020 and the five-year average; and a similar average 100-kernel weight compared to the five-year average.

Nearly 99 percent of the samples tested below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action level for aflatoxins. A full 100 percent of the samples tested below the 5.0 parts per million FDA advisory level for deoxynivalenol (DON) or vomitoxin. Of the samples tested for fumonisin, 97.2 percent tested below the FDA’s strictest guidance level of 5.0 parts per million.

The 2021/2022 U.S. corn crop is expected to be the second largest (382.6 million metric tons/15,062 million bushels) on record and has the highest average yield on record (11.11 metric tons/hectare or 177 bushels per acre), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE).

The 2021/2022 Corn Harvest Quality Report provides information about the quality of the current U.S. crop at harvest as it enters international merchandising channels. A second Council report, the 2021/2022 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report, will measure corn quality at the point of loading for export. It will be available in spring 2022.

Presentations of the report will commence next week, aiming to offer participants clear expectations regarding the quality of corn for this marketing year.

View the full 2021/2022 USGC Corn Harvest Quality Report.