USDA acreage report: Corn acres down 4%, soybeans up 1%

WASHINGTON — Corn acreage is down 4%, soybean acreage is up 1% and wheat acreage is up 1% from 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent acreage report.

When the survey was conducted May 28-June 16, corn left to be planted in the United States was 4.03 million acres. Soybeans left to be planted was 15.8 million acres.

“There were a lot of planting delays this season,” said Lance Honig, crops branch chief at USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“Especially early on and in particular in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. We are going to go back and re-contact those producers sometime around mid-July to find out what actually happened with those acreage expected to be planted.”

Wheat acreage for 2022 is estimated at 47.1 million acres, up 1% from 2021. If realized, this represents the fifth lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919.

According to the report, corn acreage in 2022 is estimated at 89.9 million acres, down 4% or 3.44 million acres from last year.

The soybean planted area for 2022 is estimated at 88.3 million acres, up 1% from last year. Compared with last year, soybean planted acreage is up in 20 major producing states.

Area for harvest, forecast at 87.5 million acres, is up 1% from 2021. If realized, this will be the third highest planted and harvested soybean acreage on record.

Record high planted area is estimated in Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.