USDA releases planting intentions report

Apr 01, 2015

A dip in corn planting and slight jump in soybeans among the highlights

Farmers across the United States were glued to their screens Tuesday afternoon as the United States Department of Agriculture released its March planting intentions report to give a better outlook on the abundance of crops farmers hope to produce this planting and harvesting season.

Among the highlights of the report is the 2% dip corn’s planted acreage is estimated to take. Soybean plantings could be up by 1% and wheat appears to have taken the hardest hit, down 3% from last year.

Corn
2015’s corn planting is estimated to be around 89.2 million acres. If the numbers for corn hold true, 2015 would be the third straight year with a decline in corn planting and would have the possibility of being the lowest number of planted corn since 2010.

Iowa leads the way with more than 13 million acres of corn expected to be planted in 2015, followed by Illinois with more than 11 million acres.

Most of the states in the Corn Belt appear to be planting less corn with the exception of Minnesota and Wisconsin who are looking to increase their production.

Right now corn is going for about $3.76 per bushel.

Soybeans
Soybean production is estimated to be at 84.6 million acres – a record high and up 1% from 2014.

Like they do with corn, Iowa appears to have the most soybeans planted with more than 10 million acres. The next closest is North Dakota with over 5 million acres.

Arkansas, Iowa and Ohio are estimated to be increasing their soybean production by 200,000 acres while Kansas and Nebraska could see the largest declines.

Currently, soybeans are getting $9.79/bushel.

Wheat
Total wheat planted for 2015 is around 55.4 million acres, a 3% drop from 2014.

Kansas leads the way with 9.4 million acres of wheat planted for 2015 followed by Montana with about 5.7 million acres.

Approximately 29.6 million acres is Hard Red Winter, 7.75 million acres are Soft Red Winter and 3.43 million acres are White Winter.

Wheat is currently trading for $5.10/bushel.

In an effort to compile more information, Farms.com is holding their own planting intentions survey. Farmers who fill it out are eligible to win a prize of either $100, $200 or $300.

Join the conversation and tell us what you’ll be planting this season. Have you adapted your acreage by any way?

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.