Farmers’ quick planting progress may not lead to more crop acres

Farmers across the U.S. are making good progress in planting, but that does not necessarily mean there will be more crop acres.

In March, USDA found principal crop acres were down around 6 million from last year, which is a nearly 2 percent drop. Analysts with Reuters took a look back at 2015 where planting was also at a quick pace, and they found that crop acres fell by 2.4 percent that year.

Rain in the Corn Belt is expected to slow progress in the near future, and the markets will be looking forward to results of the June survey.

Related Stories
The voluntary pledge aims to keep electricity and infrastructure expenses from shifting to rural customers.
Weak hog prices and rising production could reshape China’s demand for imported meat and feed grains.
USDA Cattle on Feed report for July shows fewer cattle entering feedlots and inventories remaining below last year as ongoing supply constraints continue to support the cattle market.
The delegation toured farms, fields and grain facilities to learn more about U.S. wheat and export opportunities.
A University of Illinois study points to industry consolidation as a key driver of fertilizer prices.