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CoBank projecting large increase in U.S. corn acreage

A recent survey shows U.S. farmers are projected to increase the amount of corn acreage planted this spring.

CoBank grains and oilseeds economist Tanner Ehmke tells Brownfield there are several trends favoring corn.

“We have a much tighter balance sheet this year, very strong demand in Mexico. We’ve had a strong demand story domestically, with ethanol which has been historically strong.”

He says feed demand also remains resilient, with positive feeding margins across livestock, poultry and dairy sectors.

CoBank projects 94.5 million acres of corn will be planted this spring, up from 90.6 million acres in 2024. Ehmke says weak prices for other grains suggest that projection could even be a bit low.  

“Given where we are with some crops, like grain sorghum still struggling a lot with corn. If that story continues, where basis for Milo continues to weaken, whereas corn remains strong, I would anticipate perhaps we could see corn acres as high as 95 and a half (million acres) by this spring,” he says.

Ehmke says he doesn’t expect storage capacity to be a concern.

“Corn is a little bit more flexible with its storage capabilities. You can store it a lot easier in bunker storage or on piles than you can with other commodities,”

He says tight global stocks should allow U.S. corn to remain competitive.

AUDIO: Tanner Ehmke, CoBank