US corn plantings highest since WWII due to ethanol
Published:April 3, 2007
Source :USDA NASS
Driven by growing ethanol demand, United States farmers intend to plant 15pc more land to corn in 2007, according to the latest Prospective Plantings report from the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Producers plan to plant 90.5 million acres of corn, the largest area since 1944 and 12.1m acres more than in 2006.
Expected corn acreage is up in nearly all states, due to favorable prices fueled by increased demand from ethanol producers, as well as strong export sales.
The increase in intended corn acres is partially offset by a decrease in soybean acres in the Corn Belt and Great Plains, as well as fewer expected acres of cotton and rice in the Delta and Southeast.
US farmers plan to plant 67.1m acres of soybeans, the lowest total since 1996 and a decrease of 11pc from 2006.
The area planted to cotton is expected to total 12.1m acres, down 20pc from 2006.
The area intended for rice is estimated at 2.64m acres, down 7pc from 2006 and down 22pc from 2005. If realised, this would be the lowest planted acreage since 1987.
All wheat planted area is expected to increase 5pc from 2006, to 60.3m acres.
Winter wheat acreage is up 10pc and durum wheat is up 6pc, while other spring wheat is down 7pc.
Other crops with expected acreage increases are: sorghum, up 9pc; canola, up 12pc; and barley, up 7pc from last year's record low.
