By Jamie Martin
The USDA is set to release its Prospective Plantings and Grain Stocks reports on March 31 at 11 a.m. CDT. These will offer early insights into the 2025 crop year and inventory left from 2024. Analysts predict a rise in corn acres.
According to Reuters, trade expects 2025 corn plantings to hit 94.361 million acres, up 4.2% from 2024. This slightly exceeds USDA’s earlier target of 94 million acres. Some forecasts range as high as 96.6 million acres, reflecting growing interest in corn over other crops.
Farmer surveys back this trend. Farmers Business Network (FBN) projects 95.5 million acres, shifting acres away from soybeans and wheat. Their data comes from 1,000 U.S. farmers representing 2 million acres. Iowa and Kansas show the biggest corn acre gains.
The Kluis/Successful Farming survey estimates 95.9 million acres, up from 90.6 million last year. “Al Kluis described the survey’s findings as negative for corn, bullish for soybeans, and neutral for wheat.”
The Dow Jones survey of 18 analysts also expects 94.2 million corn acres, matching earlier USDA forecasts. Soybean plantings are expected at 83.8 million acres.
With such strong interest in corn, the USDA report is likely to spark market movement. Corn futures have shown notable swings, with the last five planting reports averaging 12-cent gains.
In 2023, prices jumped 16 cents due to lower-than-expected corn acreage. Soybean futures have moved even more sharply in previous years.
The market awaits the USDA’s update, which could drive price changes and shape planting decisions for months ahead.
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Categories: National