U.S. farmers plan less corn, more soybeans and wheat in 2024

In early March, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked farmers across the country what crops they planned to put into the ground in 2024, their collective reply was fewer acres of corn and more acres of soybeans and wheat than last year. That information came out in the agency’s Prospective Plantings report, released March 28. But farmers and other stakeholders in agricultural crop production should keep in mind that the report, which used to be called “planted intentions,” is just that, said Frayne Olson, North Dakota State University Extension economist and crops marketing specialist. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service bases the acreage estimates on a survey of about 72,000 farmers from across the United States during the first two weeks in March. The information is collected by mail, internet and telephone. Factors, such as market prices and weather conditions, could result in changes in planting plans between the time the survey was conducted and when ...