USDA Projects 8% Increase in US Corn Acreage for 2020

  • Wednesday, 01 April 2020 10:40

Ethanol Producer Magazine

Mar 31, 2020

The USDA expects U.S. farmers to plant 97 million acres of corn in 2020, up 8 percent or 7.29 million acres from 2019. Compared with 2019, planted acreage for corn is expected to be up or unchanged in 38 of the 48 estimating states, according to data released in the agency’s Prospective Plantings report, released March 31.

Farmers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Kansas are expected to lead the nation when it comes to planted corn acres. Approximately 14.1 million acres of corn are expected to be planted in Iowa, up from 13.5 million in 2019. Corn acres in Illinois are expected to reach 11.3 million, up from 10.5 million last year. In Nebraska, farmers are expected to plant 10.5 million acres of corn, up from 10.1 million in 2019, while corn acres in Kansas are expected to fall to 6.3 million, down from 6.4 million last year.

The report projects that corn acreage will grow most significantly in South Dakota, where farmers are expected to plant 6 million acres of corn this year, up from 4.35 million acres in 2019. If realized, 2020 corn acreage in the state will be at 138 percent of 2019 levels.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded from the USDA website.

Read the original story here