U.S. corn planted acres up 7% in 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) estimates U.S. soybean planted area at a record high 83.7 million acres, up 1 percent from last year, according to the Acreage report released on June 30, 2016.

The report shows U.S. growers, aided by favorable weather conditions, increased or maintained their 2015 soybean acreage in 18 out of the 31 major producing states. In Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri, soybean growers significantly increased their planted acres, with each state reporting 200,000 or more acres planted to soybeans this year than in 2015. Growers expect to harvest 83.0 million acres of soybeans nationally this year, which, if realized, will be a new record high.

U.S. corn growers also benefited from the excellent field conditions this year, increasing their acreage from last year by 7 percent to 94.1 million acres, making it the third highest corn planted acreage since 1944 Growers expect to harvest 86.6 million acres for grain. If realized, this will be the third highest acres harvested for grain since 1933.

Both soybean and corn growers continued to embrace biotechnology. According to the report, 94 percent of this year’s soybean acreage was planted to herbicide resistant varieties. On the corn side, 93 percent of 2016 crop was planted to biotechnology seed varieties, which include insect and herbicide resistant varieties of corn seed.

The report pegged total 2016 U.S. wheat acreage at 50.8 million acres, compared to 54.6 million acres in 2015, and 56.8 million acres in 2014. The estimated 2016 cotton acreage is 9.8 million acres, which is an increase of 17 percent from 2015. Sorghum’s projected acreage of 7.23 million represents a 15% decline from 2015.

Total 2016 acreage planted to all crops is up almost 5 million acres, compared to 2015 total crop acreage.