WASHINGTON — After months of battling sweltering heat and drought, a bit of good news emerged for farmers on Thursday: the Agriculture Department revised its estimates for soybean production higher, a sign that the drought had less of an impact on the crop than feared.

The news was not all good, however. The department, for the fourth consecutive month, lowered its estimates for corn, the country’s largest cash crop. The lower estimates for corn supplies mean customers will most likely find an increase in meat and dairy prices at the grocery store next year as the cost of animal feed — made primarily from corn and soybeans — remains high.

The Agriculture Department crop estimates are published monthly, but analysts say the October report is significant because it comes during the harvest across the Midwest and probably provides the most comprehensive view yet of the impact of the drought on the size of the corn, soybean and other crops.

“I don’t think you are going to see any more significant changes in production figures,” said Jerry Norton, an analyst at the department. “The figures out today capture most of the impact of the drought, so it’s hard to see estimates getting much lower from here on.”