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: Midwest Weather Shock: Flash Drought Turns Into Heavy Rain Threat This Week (2026 Forecast)

A rapidly changing Midwest weather pattern is unfolding in 2026 as areas that recently slipped into abnormal dryness and flash drought conditions are now facing the threat of heavy rain and repeated storm systems.

After a wet spring erased early drought conditions, regions across Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northern Missouri have quickly dried out again since mid-to-late May. Soil moisture is dropping fast, and crops like corn and soybeans are beginning to feel the stress of rising temperatures and lack of consistent rainfall. Now, weather models show a major shift.

A developing system moving in from the Northern Plains is expected to bring multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, with the potential for locally heavy rainfall across the Midwest. While some areas may miss out, others could finally see much-needed relief from the growing dryness. In this video, we break down:

Current drought conditions across the Midwest

Why a flash drought is developing quickly

Timing and path of incoming storm systems

Which states are most likely to see heavy rain

How long this wet pattern could last

Will this rain end the drought or create new flooding risks? Watch the full forecast to find out.