ST. LOUIS – Illinois corn production plunged 34 percent last year as a severe drought cost the state bragging rights as the country's second-biggest grower of the grain, the federal government announced Friday in its final crop report for 2012.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that despite planting more corn acreage than during the previous two years, Illinois finished 2012 fourth among corn states, accounting for 1.29 billion bushels of the 10.79 billion reaped nationwide.

Iowa still solidly led the pack with 1.87 billion bushels, followed by Minnesota's 1.37 billion and Nebraska's 1.29 billion, which was roughly 6 million more than Illinois.