Missouri on track for second-highest corn harvest on record

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture said this year's corn crop in Missouri is on track to be the second-highest yield on record.

The Columbia Missourian reported the state was on track as of Sept. 12. The agriculture department predicts there will be an average yield of 165 bushels per acre this year, compared to an average of 142 bushels per acre in 2015. The record was 186 bushels per acre in 2014.

Officials are also expecting record yields in Missouri for soybeans.

The national agency is anticipating the highest yields on record nationwide.

Bob Garino of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service in Columbia said early planting contributed to a robust harvest, and corn farmers in the state benefited from favorable weather after a dry spell in June.