“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 and processors should watch trade policy closely as tariff impacts ripple through seafood markets.
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.
Corn and beef exports showed strong momentum, cotton sales surged, and soybean sales held steady, though China remains absent from the U.S. market.
Disease risks remain a key factor to watch heading into fall.
For rural communities, this shift could mean new housing options for farmworkers and young families priced out of metro markets.
The modest cut should slightly reduce borrowing costs on operating loans, land notes, and equipment financing for agriculture, giving some relief to producers under heavy debt loads.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Our friend Jake Charleston at Specialty Risk Insurance joins us for an industry update.
Mary-Thomas Hart, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, discusses the latest WOTUS developments and their implications for agriculture.
Wed, 12/17/25 – 7:30 PM ET | 6:30 PM CT | 5:30 PM MT | 4:30 PM PT
A massive rail merger could significantly impact North American agriculture and trade flows.
Urea and phosphate see the biggest price relief from tariff exemptions, but nitrogen markets remain tight, and spring demand will still dictate pricing momentum.
Earlier this year, the BLM moved to rescind the Public Lands Rule from the Biden Administration. Interior Secretary Doug Bergum says overturning the rule will protect the American way of life and give rural communities a stronger voice.