The USDA released updates this past Thursday on what they estimate the numbers to be for the upcoming planting season. Due to the expected high input costs, especially with fertilizer, there has been much talk about less corn and more soybeans being planted this year. And sure enough, the USDA’s estimates for the entire state of Illinois are 10.7 million acres of corn, and 11 million acres of soybeans. That’s three percent down on corn, four percent up on soybeans; similar to changes they estimate in nearby states such as Iowa. Nationwide, the USDA predicts a flip-flop: with the total corn acres being UNDER 90 million at 89.5, and total soybean acres being OVER 90 million at 91 flat. That’s a four percent change in both directions.
Tom Fricke from the Vermilion County Farm Bureau says remember these are just estimates. Now, let’s see how the weather is this spring.
AUDIO: With any perspective plantings report; this is just what the plan is. But we’ll see what the weather does the next two months, and see if guys are able to get the crops in the field the way they anticipate.
Fricke says another thing to watch is the overall wheat crop. The nationwide estimate right now is 47.4 million acres; with an estimate of 730,000 acres for Illinois.
AUDIO: But is that number is realized it’ll be the fifth lowest wheat planted in the area since records began in 1919. We’ll see how that number changes, possibly; as wheat prices continue to be high, given the world situation. The Ukrainian area is a big wheat exporter; so if that market is maybe is not available, we could see maybe higher wheat numbers here in our state this fall.
Fricke says one adjustment could be how much wheat is used for food and how much for feed. The Cliff Notes version of this is, there are a lot of unanswered questions for the new planting season. The biggest one right now is, “when can they start?” Fricke says some warm days combined with some wind could certainly help get the soil temperature where it needs to be. But next week’s forecast, meanwhile, is calling for additional rain.
