Harvest on hold for wet weather? The Kansas Corn Agriculture Weather Advisor brings farmers an assortment of maps and other information for daily, weekly and seasonal planning. Check out kansascornweather.com to subscribe for free and view the radar.

An essential partnership 🌽 When Kansas Corn met with elected leaders on Capitol Hill last week, they emphasized the importance of trade to Kansas farmers.

The USDA’s crop production estimates have been less accurate over the past five years, particularly in Kansas, where reports have been off by an average of 8% since market year 2021/22. Read Taylor Williamson's analysis: ow.ly/7Ac450ZR5YC.

The @usgrainscouncil welcomed representatives from South Korea's feed and food industries for a deeper look into the U.S. corn sector. As one of the largest international markets for U.S. corn, South Korea imported 6.15 million metric tons of U.S. corn worth $1.43 billion during the 2024/25 market year, the highest since 2008. The trade mission brought the delegates through Nebraska, Kansas and the Pacific Northwest. During their time in Kansas, Kansas Corn hosted a marketing seminar for the group as well as stops at Western Star Global Grain and Food Center, a farm/feedlot tour at Nunemaker-Ross Farm and Delong container facility 🌽🤝 We look forward to continuing to grow international partnerships to bring a reliable supply of Kansas corn, DDGS and ethanol to consumers across the globe.

#Harvest26 is well underway for Keith Williamson of Williamson Farms in Haskell County, with most of the irrigated corn now finished. Yields on the irrigated acres have been well below average, with performance largely dependent on the production of irrigation wells and whether timely thunderstorms brought some additional moisture. It has been an especially hot and dry growing season across the area. The dryland corn is also struggling, with poor yields expected. Many plants are barren, and the ears that did develop are very small. Overall, the challenging heat and lack of moisture throughout the season have made for a difficult harvest in Haskell County.

Red meat exports 🤝 Kansas corn growers

This week's Market Commentary from Taylor Williamson, Kansas Corn Director of Policy and Economics, is on the website now! Read here: kscorn.com/marketsandeconomi….

Kansas corn production is expected to drop in 2026, according the USDA. Derek Belton, Kansas Corn Commission Chair, spoke about the driving factors behind the decrease on KWCH 12: kwch.com/2026/09/20/kansas-c…

Congratulations to Caleb Stimatze of Zenda — he was named the Best of Corn winner at the Governor’s Awards Ceremony at the Kansas State Fair!

This week, Brett Grauerholz, Kansas Corn Growers Association Vice President, presented at the Seed to Spreadsheet Insight dinner during the Argus Biofuels Conference, hosted by the National Corn Growers Association. Grauerholz spoke about how his family farm prioritizes modern technology and data optimization to make business decisions. The dinner was attended by airlines, media members, biofuels producers, verifiers, and similar groups. Events like these help connect farmers with industry leaders, creating valuable conversation.

Today's #Harvest26 update comes from Tyler Peterson, of Peterson Farms in Ottawa County! Peterson has harvested approximately 200 acres of corn so far, mostly dryland, and is pleased with the yields. Moisture has ranged from 15.5% to 18%, but the farm has temporarily paused harvest after running out of dry corn. Early-planted and irrigated corn has benefited from timely rainfall and relatively good growing conditions. Later-planted June corn has endured the summer heat, but Peterson remains hopeful for additional rainfall and strong yields as those fields are still in the milk stage. The farm has experienced relatively few disease issues this season, although late-season tar spot has appeared and will be something to manage in the years ahead. Peterson reports there is still plenty of good-looking corn in the area north of Minneapolis in Ottawa County. Peterson Farms has also been evaluating new PRECEON™ short-stature corn from Channel, with plots showing promising potential under both dryland and irrigated conditions.

We’re in D.C. this week!

International trade matters 🌽🌏 U.S. corn imports into South Korea reached record numbers, capturing 67% of the market share and totaling $1.43 billion in value!

Kansas Corn Commission Chair, Derek Belton, and Vice President of Market Development and Grower Services, Connie Fischer, participated in @USMEF's Heartland Tour in Japan last week. Belton and Fischer joined USMEF staff, other corn and soybean farmers and beef and pork producers to learn about the Japanese market and educate Japanese meat buyers and consumers during the four-day trip. “Japan is a critical market as the no. 2 importer of U.S. beef,” Belton said. “This trip allowed us to meet with our U.S. beef customers and learn more about how our product is utilized in the country." The trip concluded with a seminar for 500 Japanese meat buyers in Tokyo.

“I was just looking at one of the fields we harvested this week. We cut it a month and a day earlier this year than last year,” Paige Clawson said. “Usually, an early harvest is not a great sign.” "Anybody who has any crop at all that’s left, they just got lucky and had some timely rains that kept things alive and kept them going,” Brent Rogers said. “You go five miles either way anywhere in the northwest part of the state and conditions change dramatically. You might hit a pocket that had timely rain and things look pretty good, and then you go another five miles and it’s just absolutely nothing.” Paige serves on the KCC Board and Brent serves on the KCGA Board, and both farm in western Kansas. They were featured in Successful Farming, providing a firsthand look at the drought and temperatures Kansas farmers have endured through the summer. Read the story: agriculture.com/heat-drought…

This week's Market Commentary is live! Read it here: kscorn.com/weeklymarket.

Farmers continue to struggle with rising input costs, including the high price of fertilizer. As harvest starts in the Sunflower State, Brett Grauerholz, Kansas Corn Grower's Association Vice President, and other Midwest farmer-leaders gathered in Ogden, lowa, today to share the fertilizer pricing challenges they're facing with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden. "The lack of competition in fertilizer markets has corresponded with price swings that cannot be explained by market forces," Grauerholz said. "We appreciate Deputy Secretary Vaden for listening to our concerns. This issue is so critical, I stopped harvest on my farm so that Kansas corn farmers were represented."

Derek Belton, Kansas Corn Commission Chair, and Connie Fischer, Vice President of Market Development and Grower Services, are in Japan this week with @USMEF. Japan is a leading export market for American beef and pork, and more specifically, variety meats. The country imported more than 500,000 metric tons of U.S. muscle cuts and variety meats in 2025.

The September 2026 USDA/NASS report is here 🌽 USDA NASS estimates that Kansas will harvest 6.55 million acres of corn, with an average yield of 121 bushels per acre, down from 145 in 2025. The total projected production is 792.55 million bushels, down from 942.5 million bushels in 2025. As the season continues, we'll keep you updated on Kansas corn production estimates.

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we remember the lives lost, the families and communities forever changed and the heroes who answered the call. We will never forget.