‘I’ states intend to increase soybean acreage

WASHINGTON — U.S. producers intend to plant more soybean and less corn acres in 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the survey-based prospective plantings report March 28.

U.S. soybeans growers intend to plant 86.51 million acres in 2024, up 3% from last year’s 83.6 million. Compared with 2023, planted acreage intentions are up or unchanged in 24 of the 29 estimating states.

Increases of 100,000 soybean acres or more are anticipated in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota. A decrease of 180,000 acres is expected in Kansas.

U.S. corn producers said they intend to plant 90.036 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2024, a decrease of 5% from the 94.641 million last year.

Compared with last year, planted corn acreage is expected to be down or unchanged in 38 of the 48 estimating states.

Corn acreage decreases of 300,000 acres or more from last year are expected in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas.

The planted acreage in Iowa will be the lowest since 2006. The planted acreage in Montana will be the highest since 1958.

The 2024 winter wheat planted area is estimated at 34.135 million acres, down 1% from the previous USDA estimate and 7% lower than last year’s 36.699 million for comparable states.

Of the total planted acreage, approximately 24.3 million acres are hard red winter, 6.26 million acres are soft red winter and 3.59 million acres are white winter.

‘I’ States

Illinois producers completing the survey indicated they will plant 10.5 million soybean acres, up 1.4% from last year’s 10.35 million.

Illinois’ expected corn planted area is 10.9 million, compared to 11.2 million in 2023, a 2.7% decline. The Prairie State seeded 780,000 winter wheat acres last fall, down 7% from last year’s 840,000 acres.

Indiana farmers indicted soybean planting intentions of 5.75 million acres, a 4.5% increase over the 5.5 million in 2023.

USDA has Indiana’s prospective plantings for corn at 5.1 million acres, a 6.4% drop from last year’s 5.45 million. Winter wheat seedings in Indiana declined 14% from 2023′s 405,000 acres to this year’s 350,000 acres.

Iowa soybean acres are projected a 10.2 million, 2.5% above the 9.95 million a year ago. Iowa farmers said they intend to plant 12.8 million corn acres, 2.3% less than the 13.1 million a year ago.