U.S. farmers expected to boost corn and wheat acreage

Mar 02, 2023

U.S. farmers will plant more corn and wheat in 2023 than they did a year earlier, taking advantage of prices that remain relatively high and declining input costs, the government said Feb. 23.

Corn seedings were pegged at 91 million acres and soybean seedings at 87.5 million acres, unchanged from last year, the U.S. Agriculture Department said at its annual Agricultural Outlook Forum.

The wheat forecast was 49.5 million acres, up from 45.7 million in 2022.

With global grain supplies near decade lows following Russia’s invasion of major grains producer Ukraine last year, a big U.S. crop is needed to replenish depleted stockpiles that have helped spark rampant food inflation during the past two years.

U.S. farmers are eyeing lower prices of fertilizer needed to grow corn and hoping for a bumper crop after a late season drought withered last year’s harvest.

Analysts had been expecting 90.9 million acres of corn and 88.6 million acres of soybeans. In 2022, U.S. farmers planted 88.6 million acres of corn.

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Video: Independent Seed, National Impact | On The Brink: Episode 9

A survey of 200 independent seed businesses reveals what Canada's seed sector actually contributes — and what it stands to lose.

On the Brink, Justin Funk, a third-generation agri-marketer, shares the findings of a national survey conducted in early 2026. The numbers reframe the conversation: independent seed companies in Canada represent upwards of $1.7 billion in dedicated seed infrastructure, approximately 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs in rural communities, and an estimated $20 million in annual community contributions. And roughly 90% of Canada's cereals, pulses, and other small pollinated crops flow through them.

The survey also asked how dependent these businesses are on public plant breeding to survive. The answer was unambiguous. For policymakers evaluating the future of publicly funded breeding programs, Funk argues the economic case for this sector and the case for public plant breeding are the same argument.

On the Brink is a cross-country video series exploring the future of plant breeding in Canada. Each episode features voices from across the industry in an open, ongoing conversation about innovation and long-term investment in Canadian agriculture.