The government forecast a record harvest this fall.

Farmers this fall are expected to harvest a record corn crop of nearly 8.27 billion bushels, 8% more than last year’s output and slightly more than the old mark set three years ago, the Agriculture Department said. Bumper crops of soybeans, sorghum, wheat and cotton also were indicated by surveys taken Aug. 1. The estimates were the first of the season and will be updated. The department’s “all crops” production index as of Aug. 1 averaged 112% of the base year of 1977, up from 110% last year.