Shifts in US crop acreage reported by USDA for 2024

Jul 10, 2024

Corn and wheat acreage falls, soybeans and cotton surge in 2024

By Farms.com

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has recently updated their Acreage report for the year 2024, showing dynamic shifts in the planting of key crops.

This year, corn acreage has decreased to 91.5 million acres, a 3% drop from the previous year, with biotech varieties making up 94% of the crop. Conversely, soybean acreage has increased by 3%, totaling 86.1 million acres, with a notable 96% of these being herbicide-resistant varieties.

Additionally, cotton has shown a robust increase in planting, with all cotton areas reaching 11.7 million acres, which is a 14% increase. This includes Upland cotton at 11.5 million acres and a significant rise in American Pima cotton by 24%.

Wheat has seen a general decline with a 5% decrease, with winter wheat down by 8%, though durum and other spring wheat have seen increases of 29% and 1%, respectively.

Data for the report was gathered through extensive surveys conducted over two weeks in early June, involving nearly 64,000 farm operators across the U.S. These insights are vital for understanding the changes in agricultural trends and preparing for future market conditions.

This information serves not just farmers but also policymakers and industry stakeholders, highlighting the adaptive strategies in crop production based on environmental and economic factors.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.