USDA forecasts 6 percent increase in soybean acres

Producers across the United States intend to plant an estimated 81.5 million acres of soybeans in 2014, up 6 percent from last year and an all-time record high, according to the Prospective Plantings report released March 31 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
If realized, soybeans will surpass the previous record of 77.5 million acres planted in the United States set in 2009.
Planted acreage intentions for soybeans are up or unchanged in all states except Missouri and Oklahoma. The largest increase is expected in North Dakota with a record high 5.65 million acres, an increase of one million acres from 2013. If realized, the planted area of soybeans in Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin also will be the largest on record.
Corn growers intend to plant 91.7 million acres in 2014, down 4 percent from 2013 and, if realized, the lowest planted acreage since 2010. Expected returns for corn are anticipated to be lower in 2014 compared with recent years. Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts and Utah are expected to increase planted acreage from last year. If realized, planted acres in Idaho will be a record high.
The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey based estimates of U.S. farmers' 2014 planting intentions. NASS's acreage estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of more than 84,000 farm operators across the United States.