September 2, 2009

Farm Futures magazine's first survey of 2010 planting-intentions projects increased the quantity of corn acres, with less acreage devoted to soy.

 

The 2010 corn estimate of 87.5 million acres is up 500,000 from US Department of Agriculture estimates for 2009 allocations. Farm Futures said the survey pegs soy acreage at 75 million acres, down from 77.7 million in 2009.

 

"While farmers are only beginning to think about next year's crops, the early choice would be to add corn acres, after producers devoted more of their land to soy in 2009," Farm Futures said in a press release.

 

Farm Futures market analyst Arlan Suderman said the survey reflects current farmer thinking, which could change by the time planting decisions are actually finalized over the winter.

 

The survey reports farmers plan to plant more wheat for harvest in 2010 at 61.1 million, up 2 percent from 2009, according to the release.

 

The Farm Futures survey found all the increase in wheat should take place in the hard red winter wheat grown on the Plains, a crop that will be planted soon. Other classes of wheat should see acreage drop slightly from 2009 levels.

 

Farm Futures surveyed 741 growers from around the US by email from July 24 to Aug. 5.