Farmers started planting this past spring facing significant dry conditions, with some areas experiencing drought, leading to uncertainty. April 2025 was the second warmest on record for North Carolina, and the year saw unseasonably warm days in winter and spring. Despite the dryness, planting progressed well, with high percentages of soybeans in the ground by early June.

Timely rain in late May and into the summer helped crops recover, fulfilling hopes for success. Still, soybean production was down slightly in 2025, around 36 bushels per acre, and farmers faced challenges with profit margins despite the mild weather.

Twenty-five growers submitted entries to the North Carolina Soybean Yield Contest in 2025. There were 11 entries in the irrigated category and 14 entries in the non-irrigated category. The average yield of these entries is 88.6 bu/ac. It wasn’t that many years ago that an 88-bushel entry would have stood a good chance of winning the contest outright. The winners were awarded at the North Carolina Commodity Conference in January 2025.

State Champions

The state champion is the farm with the highest yield in the state for 2025 (regardless of irrigation practices) and received an award totaling $1000. Two division winners were recognized, one in the irrigated division and one in dryland, and received a $500 reward (unless that person was the state champion). The runner ups received a $200 reward.

**State Champion - Highest Soybean Yield 2025**
Matthews Family Farms in Yadkin County
100.9 Bu/A
Planted Pioneer P48A14E on April 29

**First Place Dryland**
Carawan Farms in Hyde County
97.7 Bu/A
Planted Pioneer P43Z44SE on April 22

**Second Place Irrigated**
Austin Bryant of Northampton County
99.5 Bu/A
Planted Dyna Gro S47XF235 on April 18

**Second Place Dryland**
Poplar Neck Farms in Chowan County
94.9 Bu/A
Planted Pioneer P46A90LX on April 4

Regional Winners

Regional awards were awarded to the producer with the highest yield in each of five geographic areas, regardless of irrigation practices. Regional winners received a $100 cash reward.