Kansas farmers are beginning to harvest their portion of a corn crop that is forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bring in over 15 billion bushels nationwide this year.

“Corn production has afforded us a number of opportunities, not only in energy but also live stock production; beef, pork, chicken,” said Tom Maxwell with the K-State Extension Office.

“And then the whole beverage industry, the corn fructose that goes into the drink.”

All reasons for increased corn acres planted in 2016 that could bring a record harvest into the bin.

Maxwell joined in on the KSAL Morning News Thursday with a look at fall crops.

“The dryland corn is going clear to the Colorado border now. Corn has expanded west as we find hybrids that are more tolerant of heat and drought,” Maxwell said.

“Ethanol has certainly changed the face of corn production and so a lot more corn grown now than there was say, twenty or thirty years ago.”

Maxwell says central Kansas farmers have watched timely rains soak the corn and now it’s time to cash in.

“It’s starting to dry down – we’re getting down to the moistures where it’s below 16 down to 15 moisture, where corn is ready to be harvested. It’s our first row crop and then we’ll move on to soybeans and then to grain sorghum as it drys down.”