The Year 2001 was a strong year for production. The U.S. corn grower produced 9.5 billion bushels of corn, or 40 percent of the world’s total production. Overall, corn yields in 2001 averaged a near historic high, reaching 138.2 bushels per acre. And Iowa remains the number one corn-producing state, followed by Illinois and Nebraska. The United States remains the greatest corn producer on the planet, but challenges remain for the U.S. corn grower. Corn prices have remained near historic lows for the past four years while corn inputs, such as cash rent, chemicals and fertilizers have been on the rise. A strong U.S. dollar has made our corn exports expensive to international markets. But through it all, the U.S. grower continues to plant corn, and a lot of it. In fact, nearly 69 million acres of corn was harvested in 2001, producing a crop worth more than $19 billion. While challenges persist, through innovation and world-leading productivity, there’s no question that the U.S. Corn Grower will remain the greatest corn producer on the planet.