Farmers intend to plant 96 million acres of corn this year, according to a new study by the National Agricultural Statistic Service, or NASS. That’s a 4 percent increase over last year, and the most land dedicated to corn since 1937. Here are the factors for this year's record amount of corn production.
Number one, good corn prices that are helping spur higher corn acreage.
“You also have perfect weather for planting. And so people are in fact planting,” said Michael Aide.
Michael Aide is the chair of Southeast Missouri State University’s Agriculture Department. He adds farmers are getting seeds in the ground now while moisture is available. But their optimism is tempered by La Niña and forecasts for a dry, hot summer.
“And so there’s a lot of growers out there who are assessing that as a possibility and trying to figure that in to their calculations for a profitable year.”
The NASS predicts a three percent bump for wheat. Meanwhile, soybean acres will be down by a percent compared to last year. Cotton will see 11 percent fewer acres.