September 21, 2007

Informa: US corn acres to reach 88.2 million; soy at 68.9 million

Private analytical firm Informa Economics estimated 2008/09 US corn planted acreage at 88.2 million acres and soybean planted acreage at 68.9 million acres, sources said Thursday (September 20).

US farmers seeded 92.888 million corn acres in 2007, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), while planting 64.081 million soybean acres.

The firm estimated US 2008/09 all wheat planted acreage at 62.6 million acres, up from the 60.505 million planted in 2007/08, sources said.

Informa estimated a trend line yield of 162.2 bushels per acre for the 2008/09 US corn crop, with corn production pegged at 13.1 billion bushels, according to the sources. The firm estimated 2008/09 soybean production at 2.941 billion bushels using a trend line yield estimate of 43.2 bushels per acre; it estimated 2008-09 all wheat production at 2.440 billion bushels, the sources said.

In the USDA's September crop production report, 2007/08 US corn production was estimated at 13.308 billion bushels with soybean production estimated at 2.619 billion bushels. All wheat production was estimated at 2.114 billion bushels.