2014 Planting Forecast: Nebraska Corn Acres Drop 6%; Soybean Acres up 13%

2014 Planting Forecast: Nebraska Corn Acres Drop 6%; Soybean Acres up 13%

Nebraska corn growers intend to plant 9.40 million acres this year, down 6% from 2013, according to a March 31 report from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soybean planted acreage is expected to be a record high 5.40 million acres, up 13% from last year.

Estimates in this report are based on a survey conducted during the first two weeks of March.

Forecasts for other Nebraska crops are:

  • Winter wheat seeded in the fall of 2013 are estimated at 1.50 million acres, up 2% from last year.
  • Dry edible bean acreage intentions are estimated at 180,000 acres, up 38% from 2013.
  • Sorghum acreage is estimated at 160,000 acres, down 44% from a year ago.
  • All hay acreage to be harvested is expected to total 2.45 million acres, down 2% from last year's acreage.
  • Oat intentions are estimated at 100,000 acres, down 33% from last year.
  • Sugarbeet is expected on 48,000 acres, up 4% from last year.
  • Sunflower planting is estimated at 33,000 acres, down 23% from 2013. Oil type varieties account for 25,000 acres, down 11% from a year ago. Non-oil varieties made up the balance of 8,000 acres, down 47%.

National Prospective Plantings

Nationally, corn acres are expected to decrease by 4% from 2013, soybeans to increase 6%, and wheat to decrease 1%.

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2014 is estimated at 91.7 million acres, down 4% from last year. If realized, this will represent the lowest planted acreage in the United States since 2010; however, this will represent the fifth largest corn acreage in the United States since 1944.

Soybean planted area for 2014 is estimated at a record high 81.5 million acres, up 6% from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage intentions are up or unchanged across all states except Missouri and Oklahoma.

All wheat planted area for 2014 is estimated at 55.8 million acres, down 1% from 2013. The 2014 winter wheat planted area, at 42.0 million acres, is down 3% from last year but up slightly from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 30.2 million acres are hard red winter, 8.43 million acres are soft red winter, and 3.35 million acres are white winter.

Area planted to other spring wheat for 2014 is expected to total 12.0 million acres, up 4% from 2013. Of this total, about 11.3 million acres are hard red spring wheat. The intended Durum planted area for 2014 is estimated at 1.80 million acres, up 22% from the previous year.

Access the National publication for this release at: http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/ProsPlan//2010s/2013/ProsPlan-03-31-2014.pdf

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