South Dakota's corn plantings to rise three percent

South Dakota's corn plantings are expected to grow three percent to 4.9 million acres, according to the USDA.

Agricultural officials predicted that the state's corn acreage would increase by 150,000 acres, but the same amount is expected to decrease for soy.

Soy acres in the state were projected to decline four percent to 3.95 million acres.

Intended plantings for South Dakota were opposite the data available for the spring 2009 plantings across the US. Nationally, corn plantings were seen to fall one percent to 85 million acres and soy plantings were expected to increase slightly to 76 million acres.

USDA officials said lower corn prices and the volatility of fertiliser and other input prices were turning farmers away from corn.

Corn stored in South Dakota on March 1 totalled 362.5 million bushels, up 24 percent on-year. The state's soy stocks dropped 110,000 bushels from 2008 to 55.9 million bushels.