Search Site   
Current News Stories
Solar eclipse, new moon coming April 8
Mystery illness affecting dairy cattle in Texas Panhandle
Teach others to live sustainably
Gun safety begins early
Hard-cooked eggs recipes great for Easter, anytime
Michigan carrot producers to vote on program continuation
Suggestions to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary
USDA finalizes new ‘Product of the USA’ labeling rule 
U.S. weather outlooks currently favoring early planting season
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids expanding and moving to new facility
Role of women in agriculture changing Hoosier dairy farmer says
   
News Articles
Search News  
   

USDA estimates record soybean acres this year

 

 

By Michele F. Mihaljevich

Indiana Correspondent

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. farmers were expected to plant record soybean acreage this year, while corn acreage was estimated to be down, according to the USDA, which released its latest acreage report Monday.

Soybean acreage was expected to be 84.8 million acres, up 11 percent from last year’s 76.5 million. The projected area for harvest – 84.1 million – is also up 11 percent and would be a record high by more than 7.4 million acres if those acres are realized, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nine states, including Michigan and Ohio, could see record high planting.

Corn acreage was estimated to be 91.6 million acres, down 4 percent from last year’s 95.4 million. The number represents the fifth-highest corn acreage since 1944 but is the lowest planted acreage since 2010, NASS said.

All wheat acreage was estimated at 56.5 million acres, up from last year’s 56.2 million. For winter wheat, 42.3 million acres were planted, down 2 percent from last year’s 43.1 million.

USDA also released its update of grain stocks as of June 1.

Corn stocks were up 39 percent, from 2.8 billion bushels last year at this time to 3.85 billion this year. USDA reported a March-May disappearance of 3.15 billion bushels, up from last year’s 2.63 billion.

Soybean stocks were 405 million bushels, down 7 percent from last year’s 435 million.

The soybean disappearance from March-May was 589 million bushels, up 4 percent from the same period last year.

For old crop wheat, stocks were 590 million bushels, down 18 percent from last year’s 718 billion. Wheat had a March-May disappearance of 467 million bushels, down 10 percent.

The trade had been predicting a corn acreage number of closer to 89 million acres, said Jonah Ford, of Ceres Hedge. "We don’t know the yields yet, but it looks like we’re going to have a big crop with a lot of carryover," he said.

"As for soybeans, some in the trade were looking for a lot less than what USDA reported. It’s hard to justify $13-$14 beans when we’ve got 405 (million bushels) to get us through the next three months."

Acreage numbers by state

 

In Illinois, corn planted for all purposes totaled 12 million acres, unchanged from last year; Indiana, 6 million, unchanged; Iowa, 13.6 million, unchanged; Kentucky, 1.6 million, up from 1.5 million; Michigan, 2.55 million, down from 2.6 million; Ohio, 3.7 million, down from 3.9 million; and Tennessee, 880,000, down from 890,000.

For soybeans, Illinois farmers planted 10.1 million acres, up from 9.5 million last year; Indiana, 5.5 million, up from 5.2 million; Iowa, 10.1 million, up from 9.3 million; Kentucky, 1.7 million, up from 1.65 million; Michigan, 2.3 million, up from 1.9 million; Ohio, 4.95 million, up from 4.5 million; and Tennessee, 1.6 million, up from 1.56 million.

All wheat planted in Illinois totaled 750,000 acres, down from 875,000 last year; Indiana, 430,000, down from 470,000; Iowa, 35,000, up from 30,000; Kentucky, 630,000, down from 700,000; Michigan, 580,000, down from 630,000; Ohio, 620,000, down from 690,000; and Tennessee, 560,000, down from 610,000.

7/2/2014