Seven Million Fewer Acres Planted Than Initially Planned
Three months after surpassing the most generous expectations for corn acreage this season, USDA significantly lowered their count of planted acres for 2020. According to the acreage report released Tuesday, farmers nationwide planted 92 million acres of corn, five million fewer than what USDA had projected in their March prospective plantings report. It’s still an increase of two-point-three million acres from a year ago if realized. Soybean acres did increase as expected from the March report, but only by 300-thousand acres. The new 83-point-eight million figure is still a ten-percent improvement from a year ago. The forecast for all wheat acreage was reduced by 400-thousand acres to 44-point-three million, while cotton acres tumbled lower to 12-point-two million acres, one-and-a-half million below previous expectations. As a whole, the U.S. has planted 311-point-nine million acres of crops, a five-percent gain from last year despite a significant drop of seven-point-two million acres from spring intentions.
Nearly a fourth of Missouri’s intended cotton acreage for the season was not planted. Just 310-thousand acres were planted in the Bootheel this season, far lower than the 400-thousand that USDA was anticipating at the start of the season. Instead of a five-percent increase, Missouri is now on track for an 18-percent drop. Soybean acreage is down 200-thousand acres from spring expectations, with five-point-six million acres planted this year. If realized, it will be a half-million acres improvement from last year. About five-point-five-five million acres are expected to be harvested. Corn acreage was reduced 100-thousand acres from March to three-and-a-half million, still a 300-thousand acre increase from a year ago. USDA anticipates three-point-three-five million acres to be harvested.
USDA’s prediction for Missouri hay acreage came up 20-thousand short, with three-point-two-three million acres designated for production this year. That includes 230-thousand acres of alfalfa, 30-thousand lower than a year ago. Wheat acreage harvested in the state is expected to remain at 390-thousand acres.
Bootheel farmers struggling with cotton planting turned some of their efforts to rice, planting 20-thousand more acres than intended this year. Missouri is now set for 219-thousand acres of rice this year, with all but five-thousand acres intended for harvest in the fall. Oat acreage is down ten-thousand from a year ago at 40-thousand, with just five-thousand acres projected for harvest this fall.
Missouri is on track for a total of 13-point-three-eight acres planted this year, 400-thousand fewer acres than previously intended but four-point-three percent higher than a year ago.