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USDA June
30 Acreage Report: Corn Down 7%; Soybeans Up 17%; Wheat Up 5%
Midwest
Flood
Extensive rains
and flooding during June caused producers in several Midwestern States
to change their harvesting intentions for crops already planted, modify
planting decisions for the small percentage of acres not yet planted,
and consider replanting options.
NASS collected
most of the data for the annual Acreage report before the majority of
the flooding occurred.
In an effort to
more accurately determine how many acres producers still intend to harvest
for grain, NASS re-interviewed approximately 1,200 farmers June 23,
24, and 25 in the flood-affected areas.
As a result, it
was determined that U.S. farmers intend to harvest 90.4 percent of their
planted acres of corn for grain.
This is a change
from 92.4 percent as measured during the first 2 weeks of June. U.S.
farmers intend to harvest 96.8 percent of their planted acres of soybeans.
Without this additional
survey data, historical averages would have indicated 98.7 percent of
soybean acres to be harvested.
NASS will conduct
a more extensive acreage update survey during July.
Findings from this
study will be incorporated in the August Crop Production report.
Corn Acreage
Down 7%
Corn planted area
for all purposes is estimated at 87.3 million acres, down 7 percent
from last year.
Despite the decrease,
corn planted acreage is the second highest since 1946, behind last year's
total of 93.6 million acres.
Growers expect
to harvest 78.9 million acres for grain, down 9 percent from 2007.
If realized, this
would be the second highest since 1944, behind last year.
Farmers increased
corn plantings 1.31 million acres from their March intentions.
Planting got off
to a slow start across the Corn Belt, Ohio Valley, and the northern
half of the Great Plains as frequent precipitation and cool temperatures
during March and April prevented spring planting preparations.
Corn planting was
27 percent complete on May 4, down 32 points from normal.
Despite intermittent
showers and below normal temperatures, producers were able to make rapid
progress during May, particularly across the upper Midwest and northern
Great Plains.
Farmers reported
that 97 percent of the intended corn acreage had been planted at the
time of the survey interview compared with the average of 98 percent
for the past 10 years.
Soybean
Acreage Up 17%
Soybean planted
area for 2008 is estimated at 74.5 million acres, up 17 percent from
last year but 1 percent below the record high acreage in 2006.
Area for harvest,
at 72.1 million acres, is up 15 percent from 2007. Compared with last
year, planted acreage increases are expected in all States, and the
U.S. planted area for soybeans is the third largest on record.
The largest increase
is expected in Nebraska, up 950,000 acres from 2007, followed by Illinois
and South Dakota, both up 900,000 acres. Increases of at least 800,000
acres are also expected in Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota.
If realized, the
planted acreage in Kansas, New York, and Pennsylvania will be the largest
on record.
Nationally, farmers
reported that 79 percent of the intended soybean acreage had been planted
at the time of the survey interview, which is the lowest since 1996.
Wheat Acreage
Up 5%
All wheat planted
area is estimated at 63.5 million acres, up 5 percent from 2007.
The 2008 winter
wheat planted area, at 46.6 million acres, is 4 percent above last year
but down slightly from the previous estimate.
Of this total,
about 31.9 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 11.0 million acres are
Soft Red Winter, and 3.7 million acres are White Winter.
Area planted to
other spring wheat for 2008 is estimated at 14.2 million acres, up 7
percent from 2007.
Of this total,
about 13.4 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat.
The Durum planted
area for 2008 is 2.66 million acres, up 24 percent from the previous
year.
USDA
June 30 Acreage Report
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