USDA Releases Prospective Plantings Outlook
6 April 2011 With commodity prices significantly higher than last spring, U.S. farmers plan to plant 3.99 million (4.5 percent) more corn acres, 3.89 million (8.2 percent) more wheat acres, and 1.59 million (15 percent) more cotton acres than last year according to the Prospective Plantings report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In all, farmers reported intentions of planting 323.8 million, according to a press release.
The 2011 wheat planted area is estimated at 58.0 million acres. Of this, 41.2 million acres is winter wheat planted area, 10 percent above last year and up 1 percent from the previous estimate.
Cotton acreage increases are expected in every state, for a total of 12.6 million acres, 15 percent above last year. The largest increase, at 548,000 acres, is expected in Texas. Acreage increases of more than 100,000 acres are expected in North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi.
Soybean acreage planting is expected to be 76.6 million acres, down 1 percent from last year, for the third largest on record. Compared with last year’s record planting intentions, declines of 100,000 acres or more are expected in Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska and Ohio. If realized, the planted area in New York and North Dakota will be the largest on record at 1.5 million and 4.35 acres respectively.
Prospective Plantings, Grain Stocks and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.
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