April 1, 2014

In 2014, US soy planted acreage is expected to have a record year, annual data from the USDA showed.

Producers surveyed intend to plant an estimated 81.5 million acres of soy in 2014, up 6% from 2013 and an all-time high, according to the yearly Prospective Plantings report released by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

If realised, soy will surpass the previous record of 77.5 million acres planted in 2009. Planted acreage intentions are expected at record highs in North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin, NASS said.

Corn growers, on the other hand, intend to plant 91.7 million acres in 2014, down 4% from last year to the lowest planted acreage since 2010, if realised.

NASS acreage estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of more than 84,000 farm operators across the US, the USDA said.