An ag economist is surprised at the results of USDA’s Prospective Plantings report.

“Not many acres as we thought we might see today.”

Ben Brown with the University of Missouri tells Brownfield while USDA’s projection for combined planted acres is higher than last year at 316 million, it is about 3 million less than he expected and what was planted in 2018.

“Given the prices that we see now and wat we are hearing from farmers, I think the general impression was that if there is an acre to be planted out there, it was going to get planted this year.”

He figured high corn and soybean prices, increased US corn and soybean purchases by China and weather hindering the South American crops would incentivize farmers to plant maximum acres of corn and soybeans.

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