The Illinois Soybean Association announced that the state's farmers set a new soybean production record last year.
According to the USDA'a National Agricultural Statistics Service, Illinois farmers produced 688 million bushels of soybeans in 2024, surpassing the state’s previous record of 666.75 million bushels set in 2018.
Officials attributed the achievement to a combination of exceptional yields and record harvested acreage. The statewide average yield reached 64 bushels per acre, a slight increase from the 2023 average of 63 bushels per acre. Additionally, Illinois farmers harvested 10.75 million acres of soybeans in 2024, up from 10.3 million acres the year before.
The record-breaking production, officials added, reinforces Illinois’ standing as a leader in soybean farming; the state consistently ranks among the top producers in the nation.
