The USDA on Aug. 12 said U.S. growers planted 90.0 million acres of corn in 2019, down 1.7 million acres from the agency’s last official estimate of 91.7 million acres on June 28. The highly anticipated revised estimate was based on a resurvey of growers in July after USDA noted that its June survey was conducted when growers still had planting intentions that were never realized due to unprecedented wet weather this spring.
USDA estimated total corn production at 13.9 billion bushels based on an average yield projection of 169.5 bushels/acre, down 6.9 bushels from 2018. Total harvested corn area is projected at 82 million acres, down 2 percent from the previous forecast.
Soybean planted acreage is now estimated at 76.7 million acres, down 4 percent from USDA’s previous estimate and a full 14 percent below 2018’s planted acreage. Soybean production for 2019 is projected at 3.68 billion bushels, down 19 percent from 2018, with average yields estimated at 48.5 bushels/acres, down 3.1 bushels from last year.