US soybean acres set record, corn also huge

30 June 2009 16:17  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--U S farmers planted 77.5m acres to soybeans in 2009, the highest on record, while corn plantings were at near record levels, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Tuesday.

In its highly anticipated crop acreage survey, the USDA also reported that 2009 corn plantings were estimated to be up 1% from last year to 87m acres, the second largest planted acreage since 1946, and 7% below the all-time record 96m acres in 2007.

Record US soybean and near record corn plantings this year would provide downward pressure in the near term on prices for the biodiesel and ethanol feedstocks, sources said.

The USDA said the estimated soybean harvest area would be 76.5m acres, up 3% from last year, and would be the largest on record.

Planting across the US Corn Belt was behind normal this year, with rain and cooler weather, but drier weather in late May brought the planted acres into range with the 10-year-average.

In the key state of Iowa, 13.7m acres were planted to corn, up slightly from the reported acres in June of 2008.

Nearly all corn planted in Iowa had emerged with 81% of the crop rated excellent and an average height of 37 inches- well above “knee high by the 4th of July,” the Iowa Department of Agriculture said.

The extended outlook for Iowa was favourable for near-perfect corn growing weather, the Iowa Corn Growers Association said.

All wheat planted area was estimated by the USDA at 59.8m, down 5% from 2008.

All cotton plantings for 2009 were estimated at 9.05m acres, 4% below last year.

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By: Frank Zaworski
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