Iowa farmers intend to plant more corn, soybeans this spring

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has released its annual Prospective Plantings report and it shows Iowa farmers expect to plant more corn and soybeans this spring.

An estimated 14 million acres of corn is expected to be planted in Iowa. If realized, it would be an increase of 400,000 acres from 2013.

Producers intend to plant 9.6 million acres of soybeans in Iowa this year, an increase of 300,000 acres from last year.

Nationally, USDA says corn acreage is estimated to be 4 percent less this year than 2013. Corn planted for all purposes is estimated at 91.7 million acres, which would be the lowest planted acreage in the U.S. since 2010. However, it would represent the fifth largest corn acreage in the nation since 1944.

Soybean planted area for 2014 is estimated at a record high 81.5 million acres, up 6 percent from last year.

The Prospective Plantings report is based on the voluntary responses from approximately 2,000 Iowa farmers. This report provides an indication of the acres farmers intend to plant for the 2014 crop year. Actual plantings will depend upon weather, economic conditions and the availability of production inputs at the time producers must make their final planting decisions.

Source: Iowa Pork Producers Association