USDA Prospective Plantings Report

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

April 01, 2008 09:55 am

— Corn growers intend to plant 86.0 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2008, down 8 percent from last year when corn planted area was the highest since 1944. Expected acreage is down from last year in most States as favorable prices for other crops, high input costs for corn, and crop rotation considerations are motivating some farmers to plant fewer acres to corn.
Despite the decrease, corn acreage is expected to remain at historically high levels as the corn price outlook remains strong due in part to the continued expansion in ethanol production.
Soybean producers intend to plant 74.8 million acres in 2008, up 18 percent from last year, but 1 percent below the record high acreage in 2006.
Acreage increases are expected in all States, except in West Virginia, which is unchanged from last year.
The largest increases are expected in Iowa and Nebraska, up 1.25 million acres and 1.20 million acres from 2007, respectively. Increases of at least 800,000 acres are also expected in Indiana, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
If realized, the planted acreage in Kansas, New York, and Pennsylvania will be the largest on record.
All wheat planted area is estimated at 63.8 million acres, up 6 percent from 2007. The 2008 winter wheat planted area, at 46.8 million acres, is 4 percent above last year and up slightly from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 32.5 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 10.7 million acres are
Soft Red Winter, and 3.63 million acres are White Winter. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2008 is expected to total 14.3 million acres, up 8 percent from 2007. Of this total, about 13.6 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. The intended Durum planted area for 2008 is 2.63 million acres, up 22 percent from the previous year.
All cotton plantings for 2008 are expected to total 9.39 million acres, 13 percent below last year. Upland acreage is expected to total 9.19 million, down 13 percent from last year, the lowest since 1983. Growers intend to decrease planted area in all States except Georgia and Oklahoma.
The largest acreage dec-lines are in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. American-Pima cotton growers intend to decrease their plantings by 30 percent from 2007, to 203,600 acres. California producers expect to plant 180,000 acres, down 31 percent from last year.

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