date:Jan 18, 2013
resulted from higher grain yields and from changes in cropping patterns.
In 2012, corn share of total crop production increased significantly to 14.4 per cent, up from 2011 level of 9.3 per cent.
Extensive weather damage to winter cereals, mainly wheat, shifted a majority of spring crop plantings to corn, in the process establishing a new record for that commodity.
Corn area increased by 63 per cent to 544 thousand hectares. Along with a larger acreage planted to corn average yield also