USDA projects 6 percent increase in corn acreage
USDA released its Prospective Plantings report at noon on March 31, projecting that U.S. growers will plant an estimated 93.6 million acres of corn in 2016, up 6 percent from last year. If realized, USDA said this will represent the highest planted corn acreage in the U.S. since 2013, and will be the third highest planted acreage in the country since 1944.
Soybean planted area in the U.S. for 2016 is estimated at 82.2 million acres, down less than 1 percent from last year. USDA said soybean acreage intentions are down or unchanged in 23 of the 31 surveyed states compared with last year.
All wheat planted area for 2016 is estimated at 49.6 million acres in the U.S., down 9 percent from 2015. The 2016 winter wheat crop is estimated at 36.2 million acres, down 8 percent from last year and down 1 percent from the previous estimate. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2016 is estimated at 11.3 million acres, down 14 percent from 2015.
The intended Durum planted area for 2016 is estimated at 2.00 million acres, up 3 percent from 2015. Sorghum growers intend to plant 7.22 million acres for all purposes in 2016, down 15 percent from last year.Area seeded to oats for 2016 is estimated at 2.75 million acres, down 11 percent from 2015 and the third lowest acreage on record in the U.S., if realized. USDA said record low planted oats acreage is estimated in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming.Barley producers intend to seed 3.14 million acres for the 2016 crop year, down 12 percent from 2015 and the fourth smallest seeded barley crop on record in the U.S., if realized. In North Dakota alone, planted barley acreage is expected to decrease by 29 percent from last year.
All cotton planted area for 2016 is estimated at 9.56 million acres, up 11 percent from last year. Upland area is estimated at 9.35 million acres, reflecting an 11 percent increase from 2015, while American Pima area is estimated at 215,000 acres, up 36 percent from 2015.
Area planted to rice in 2016 is expected to total 3.06 million acres, up 17 percent from 2015, with USDA citing “lower prices for competing commodities” as the primary reason for the rice acreage increase.
USDA said its annual Prospective Plantings report is based primarily on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March of more than 83,000 farm operators across the country.