Survey: Market, Weather Changes Crop Plantings for 2016

soybeansA national farm survey indicates farmers will plant more corn and fewer soybeans during 2016.

The Farm Futures Survey, compiled by Penton Agriculture, says corn and cotton could be the few gains among the five major row crops. Even those price gains could continue to keep seedings below their levels from two years ago.

90-million acres are anticipated to be dedicated to corn production in 2016, according to the survey. That’s an increase of 2.3-percent from the previous year. According to the report, Indiana could be among the biggest yield gains after heavy storms drenched the area in 2015. Illinois is also included in that list.

The Farm Futures Survey says that after record breaking crops, farmers appear ready to scale back soybean production. 82-million acres of soybeans are anticipated for planting this year. Sorghum seedings also look poised to drop in 2016 by almost 13-percent.

Penton Agriculture says they survey more than 1-thousand growers in the month of March to evaluate farming activity heading into the planting season. The Farm Future’s Survey deviates from the USDA corn estimate by 1.2-percent on average and its soybean estimate by 3-percent.