Progressive Farmer’s Rhett Montgomery reported that “on Monday, March 31, USDA will release two major reports out to the market at 11 a.m. CDT. The Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report will serve to give a very early look into production potential for spring-planted crops, while also accounting for inventory still on hand from […]
USDA Data
Tariffs Threaten Shift to Higher Corn Acres in 2025
Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman reported late last week that “President Donald Trump’s slew of tariffs means American farmers may not make that big shift to corn after all. Growers were widely expected to plant the most corn in five years due to tighter supplies. Now levies on some products from Canada, Mexico and China have shifted […]
USDA Increases Corn Yield Estimate to New Record
Progressive Farmer Staff reported Thursday that “going against analysts’ pre-report estimates, USDA on Thursday raised corn production slightly as the yield was bumped up to a record level. Corn production was pegged at 15.186 billion bushels, up 39 million bushels from August. The yield was raised 0.5 bushels per acre to a record 183.6 bpa.” […]
Pro Farmer Tour Finds ‘Spectacular’ US Soybean Crop
Pro Farmer Editors reported on Friday that “Pro Farmer estimates the U.S. corn crop at 14.979 billion bushels using an average yield of 181.1 bushels per acre. We estimate the U.S. soybean crop at 4.740 billion bushels at an average yield of 54.9 bushels per acre.” “The national estimates above reflect Pro Farmer’s view on […]
USDA Projects Record Soybean, Corn Yields
The USDA on Monday said that US farmers will grow a record soybean crop in 2024, while national average yields for both corn and soybeans will set record highs. In its Crop Production Report on Monday, the USDA said that the national average soybean yield is estimated at 53.2 bushels per acre — 1.3 bpa […]
Farmers Still Holding Corn & Soybeans Amid Low Prices
Reuters’ Karen Braun reported Tuesday that “survey work published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday showed June 1 U.S. corn stocks at 4.99 billion bushels, a four-year high, up 22% from a year earlier and up 7% from the 10-year average for June 1. But 61% of those corn supplies was held on […]
Corn Acres Down, Soybeans Up Over Last Year
FarmWeek’s Daniel Grant reported Friday that “a challenging planting season apparently didn’t stop U.S. farmers from seeding a hefty amount of corn and soybeans, according to USDA’s much-anticipated June acreage report released (this past) Friday. Despite wild weather fluctuations in recent months, USDA pegged planted acreage at 91.5 million acres of corn and 86.1 million […]
SNAP Participation Up, Spending Down in 2023
Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased 2.3% in 2023 to an average of 42.1 million people each month, while total federal spending on the program decreased 5.6% in 2023 to $112.8 billion, according to new research from the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The 42.1 million people participating in SNAP each month “was […]
Crop Insurance Coverage Exceeds 500 Million Acres for First Time
FERN’s Ag Insider reported Monday that “farmers and ranchers bought crop insurance policies on more than 500 million acres of land last year, the largest amount ever, driven by the surging popularity of forage policies. Overall enrollment in crop insurance was up 85% in the seven years from 2016, according to USDA data.” “In 2021, […]
Corn Condition Off to Best Start Since 2021
Progressive Farmer’s Anthony Greder reported Monday that “the condition of the U.S. corn crop is starting off significantly better this year than it did last year, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress on Monday.” “In its first condition rating of the season for corn, NASS estimated that 75% of the crop was in […]
US Ag Trade Deficit Widens to $32 Billion
The United States agricultural trade deficit is projected to increase once again to $32 billion in fiscal year 2024, an increase of $1.5 billion from the February projection, according to the USDA Economic Research Service’s May 2024 Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade report, which is released quarterly. “U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year (FY) 2024 […]
Republicans Represent 81 of Top 100 Ag Production Districts
Agri-Pulse’s Noah Wicks reported Wednesday that “Republicans are tightening their electoral grip on farm country, holding all but 19 of the top 100 congressional districts in terms of agricultural sales, according to an Agri-Pulse analysis of newly released data from USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture.” “Republicans control 21 districts ranked highest for the value of […]
Kansas Wheat Yield Projected Highest Since 2021
Reuters’ Heather Schlitz reported this past week that “scouts on an annual tour of Kansas wheat fields projected better-than-average yields in the top U.S. winter wheat state, reflecting improved moisture after several years of drought.” “The tour estimated Kansas wheat’s yield potential at 46.5 bushels per acre (bpa) after scouting 449 fields over three days,” […]
April WASDE Makes Few Changes
The April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report was relatively light on changes yesterday, with the USDA only slightly lowering domestic corn ending stocks for the 2023/24 marketing year and slightly increasing domestic soybean ending stocks. United States corn ending stocks are now estimated at 2.122 billion bushels, down 50 million bushels from […]
USDA Cancels July Cattle Report, County Level Estimates
The United States Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that is canceling the July Cattle report and discontinuing the Cotton Objective Yield Survey and County Estimates for Crop and Livestock beginning with the 2024 production year. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said in a press release that “the decision to discontinue these surveys and reports […]
2024 U.S. Corn Acres Predicted to Fall, Soybeans Increase
United States farmers are predicted to plant 90 million acres of corn and 86.5 million acres of soybeans this year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Prospective Plantings report released Thursday. The corn planted acreage of 90 million is “down 5% or 4.61 million acres from last year,” the USDA said in its […]
U.S. Wheat Farms Declined 40% in Last 20 Years
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reported earlier this week that “the number of wheat farms in the United States has declined substantially over time. Since 2002, the total number of wheat farms fell by more than 40 percent, from 169,528 in 2002 to 97,014 in 2022, and also more than 7 […]
USDA Brazil estimates remain far above Conab
Reuters’ Karen Braun reported Wednesday that “benchmark industry estimates of top exporter Brazil’s soybean crop have deviated even further from each other this month following a season blemished by questionable weather. That same controversy may be brewing for the country’s corn crop, especially with unfavorable conditions potentially on tap for Brazil’s top production state.” Despite […]
USDA Projects Decreased 2024 Planted Acreage
The United States Department of Agriculture reported Thursday that “initial expectations for 2024 planted area are for a decline in total planted area of corn, wheat, and soybeans relative to the previous year. Combined acreage for the three crops is projected at 225.5 million acres — a decline of about 1 percent reflecting expectations of […]
Ag Census Finds Fewer Farms
The United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service published data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture on Tuesday, a release that happens every 5 years. Among the most significant highlights was a decrease in the total number of farms in the U.S. from 2.04 million in 2017 to 1.90 million in 2022. Here […]