Federal agriculture officials say Indiana's popcorn harvest set a record last year with yields up nearly 30 percent compared to 2015.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that 2016 total production was a record nearly 500 million pounds worth $71.4 million. That's compared to $50.7 million during 2015. Experts have said that 2015's crop suffered because of frequent rains and a reduction in production because of less demand from processors. That's after bounty crops the two years previous to 2015.
Experts say warmer and drier weather than normal created perfect conditions for last year's crop.
Producers planted 94,000 acres in 2016. That's 9,000 more than the previous year. They harvested 93,000 acres, an increase of 10,000 acres. The price per hundredweight was $16 compared to $16.50 in 2015.