“Demand for corn is ferocious": Analysts prepare for corn acre increase this year

Ag analysts are preparing for a significant increase in corn acres this year.

Frequent Market Day Report guest Jim McCormick says data coming early next week is expected to show high demand.

“The demand for corn is ferocious,” he explained. “There are some genetics in certain areas that actually run out because that demand is so strong. And hence, that’s what we think, when it’s all said and done on the 31st, they’re gonna come in at least at 95.39 million acres.”

McCormick says it all boils down to profit, which is something corn has more potential for than soybeans.

Related Stories
Producers across the country spent the week balancing spring planning with tight margins and uneven moisture outlooks. Input purchasing stayed cautious, while marketing and cash-flow decisions remained front and center for many operations.
Federal assistance has helped, but the most recent row-crop losses remain on producers’ balance sheets.
Strong supplies and rising stocks point to continued price pressure unless demand accelerates.
Seasonal price patterns can inform soybean marketing timing, particularly when harvest prices appear unusually strong or weak.
Low prices are painful now, but production response could support stronger milk markets later in 2026.
At CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses profitability, consumer demand, and how the integrated U.S.–Canada beef supply chain impacts cattle producers across North America.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Dairy farmers are expected to face strong output and export gains, but lower prices and tighter margins will persist into next year.
With the latest detection just across the border, animal health officials on both sides are intensifying efforts to contain the outbreak before it spreads further north.
Producers and processors should watch trade policy closely as tariff impacts ripple through seafood markets.
While symbolic, the WTO’s youth hackathon reflects growing calls for creative approaches to food trade and security, with potential implications for reducing losses, expanding biofuel markets, and stabilizing grain flows.
Chad Collin, founder of The Quack Pack USA, joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to share his expertise in training Border Collies to serve as indispensable farm and ranch dogs.
Ethanol producers face a widening opportunity window as aviation and marine fuel markets expand, with the potential to add billions in demand if policy and certification align.