News

Corn acreage tops estimates

USDA’s planted area estimates have come out larger than expected, including a surprise increase in corn and a record planted acreage for soybeans.

Don Roose, President of U.S. Commodities and market analyst, tells Brownfield that the numbers are “shockingly bearish” for corn – “In the March intentions report, the government said that realistically, we’re probably going to plant 5 million less [in] marginal acres but what we found out in this report is a fair number of those marginal acres did come back into production and they went into, surprisingly, even more corn.”

Corn came out at 87.305 million acres, up almost 3 million acres from USDA’s March projection, 1% above a year ago and the second largest corn planted area since 1946, following only 2007. The estimated harvested area is 80.107 million acres, compared to 78.640 million in 2008.

Soybeans are reported at an estimated all time high of 77.483 million acres, up about 1.5 million from March and 2% more than 2008. Harvested area is projected at 76.547 million acres, compared to 74.641 million a year ago.

Total wheat planted area came out at 59.775 million acres, compared to 63.147 million a year ago. Winter harvested area is projected at 50.445 million acres, compared to last year’s total of 55.685 million. Winter wheat planted area was pegged at 43.448 million acres, compared to 2008’s 46.281 million, with harvested area seen at 34.787 million acres, compared to 39.614 million a year ago. Non-durum spring wheat planted area was reported at 13.772 million acres, compared to 14.135 million in 2008, with harvested area estimated at 13.205 million acres, compared to 13.487 million last year. Durum planted area came out at 2.555 million acres, compared to 2.731 million a year ago, with harvested area projected at 2.453 million acres, compared to 2.584 million in 2008.

Selected acreage numbers Brownfield/Waitt Agribusiness states:

Illinois: Corn: Planted: 12.300 million acres, up 200,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 12.150 million acres, up 250,000 from 2008; Soybeans (estimated 6% double crop): Planted: 9.100 million acres, down 200,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 9.050 million acres, down 50,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 850,000 acres, down 350,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 820,000 acres, down 330,000 from 2008.

Indiana: Corn: Planted: 5.700 million acres, unchanged from 2008; Harvested estimate: 5.540 million acres, up 80,000 from 2008; Soybeans (estimated 4% double crop): Planted: 5.500 million acres, up 50,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 5.480 million acres, up 50,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 470,000 acres, down 110,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 450,000 acres, down 110,000 from 2008.

Iowa: Corn: Planted: 13.700 million acres, up 400,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 13.400 million acres, up 600,000 from 2008; Soybeans: Planted: 9.800 million acres, up 50,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 9.750 million acres, up 80,000 from 2008.

Missouri: Corn: Planted: 3.100 million acres, up 300,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 3.000 million acres, up 350,000 from 2008; Soybeans (estimated 10% double crop): Planted: 5.400 million acres, up 200,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 5.350 million acres, up 320,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 800,000 acres, down 450,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 720,000 acres, down 440,000 from 2008; Rice: Planted: 195,000 acres, down 5,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 194,000 acres, down 5,000 from 2008; Cotton: Planted: 305,000 acres, down 1,000 from 2008.

Nebraska: Corn: Planted: 9.400 million acres, up 600,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 9.150 million acres, up 600,000 from 2008; Soybeans: Planted: 4.500 million acres, down 400,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 4.450 million acres, down 410,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 1.700 million acres, down 50,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 1.630 million acres, down 40,000 from 2008.

South Carolina: Corn: Planted: 350,000 acres, down 5,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 320,000 acres, up 5,000 from 2008; Soybeans (estimated 30% double crop): Planted: 610,000 acres, up 70,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 590,000 acres, up 60,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 175,000 acres, down 45,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 165,000 acres, down 40,000 from 2008; Cotton: Planted: 140,000 acres, up 5,000 from 2008.

South Dakota: Corn: Planted: 5.000 million acres, up 250,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 4.600 million acres, up 200,000 from 2008; Soybeans: Planted: 4.350 million acres, up 250,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 4.300 million acres, up 240,000 from 2008; Spring wheat: Planted: 1.600 million acres, unchanged from 2008; Harvested area: 1.500 million acres, down 20,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 1.750 million acres, down 300,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 1.600 million acres, down 290,000 from 2008.

Wisconsin: Corn: Planted: 3.750 million acres, down 50,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 2.850 million acres, down 30,000 from 2008; Soybeans: Planted: 1.640 million acres, up 30,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 1.630 million acres, up 40,000 from 2008; Winter wheat: Planted: 320,000 acres, down 30,000 from 2008; Harvested estimate: 300,000 acres, down 35,000 from 2008.

Don Roose discusses the numbers (4 minutes, 45 seconds MP3)