US Grain Council gives 2015 corn harvest a 'good' rating

The U.S. Grain Council’s (USGC) 2015/2016 Corn Harvest Quality Report gave the U.S. corn crop an overall quality rating of "good," and 94 percent of the corn samples rated at Quality Grade No. 2.

“This is the fifth year of releasing our corn quality reports,” USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann said. “Our objective in compiling and publishing this unique information is to arm our customers with the data they need to make good purchasing decisions – and take advantage of the excellent U.S. crops now available to them.”

The corn sampled by the USGC indicated good kernel filling and maturation based on weight and low levels of broken corn or corn with foreign material. Damage, including heat damage, was in the low levels with no heat damage at all. The average elevator moisture was tested at 15.7 percent which decreases the chance of stress cracking. All of the corn tested by the USDA was at levels below action level for mycotoxins.

“Our customers look forward to this information on an annual basis, and we are pleased to be able to offer it to them in a way that benefits their businesses,” Tiemann said. “We’ve had a lot of success with building relationships with overseas buyers and end-users by presenting the findings of the corn quality reports.”

The 620 yellow commodity corn samples from 12 states were tested at the Illinois Crop Improvement Association’s Identity Preserved Grain Lottery in Champaign, Illinois.