Right before planting in spring 2022, it looked like the projected number of corn and soybean acreage was down. As spring planting gets underway this year, producers surveyed across the U.S. intend to plant 92 million acres of corn in 2023, up 4% from last year according to USD National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) Prospective Planting Report.
Planted corn acreage intentions for corn are up or unchanged in 40 of the 48 estimating states, NASS reports, with the largest increase expected in North Dakota. There, producers intend to plant 800,000 more acres of corn than previously in 2022. If these predictions come to light, NASS estimates that the area of corn in Arizona and Idaho will be the largest on record.
In the soybean realm, soybean growers intend to plant 87.5 million acres in 2023, up slightly from last year, with acreage increases of 100,000 or more expected in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. NASS reports that record-high acreage is expected in Illinois, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Other key findings of the NASS Prospective Planting report are:
- All wheat planted area for 2023 is estimated at 49.9 million acres, up 9% from 2022.
- Winter wheat planted area, at 37.5 million acres, is up 2% from the previous estimate and up 13% from last year.
- Area planted to other spring wheat for 2023 is expected to total 10.6 million acres, down 2% from 2022.
- Durum wheat is expected to total 1.78 million acres for 2023, up 9% from last year.
- All cotton planted area for 2023 is expected to total 11.3 million acres, 18% below last year.
