U.S. farmers to plant more corn

Thursday, March 31, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective plantings report, released Friday, shows farmers intend to plant 92.2 million corn acres in 2011, up five per cent from 2010 and up seven per cent from 2009.  If realized, it will be the second highest corn planting in the United States since 1944, just behind the 93.5 million acres planted in 2007. The same report shows soybean farmers plan to plant 76.6 million acres, down one per cent from last year. Wheat planted intentions are estimated at 58.0 million acres, up eight per cent from 2010.

While there is no comparable Ontario report, OMAFRA corn specialist Greg Stewart said favourable planting conditions in April could see a slight increase in corn production over the 1.86 million acres of grain corn planted last year. Less than favourable April conditions could result in a slight increase in soybean acres planted. Last year, Ontario farmers planted 2.4 million acres of soybeans and about 815,000 acres of wheat. There are just under one million acres of winter wheat in the ground.

Environment Canada is predicting below normal temperatures for much of southern Ontario and north of Lake Superior in April and normal temperatures in the northern part of the province. It is also predicting above normal precipitation for much of the province during the same period. BF