WASHINGTON, March 30 (UPI) -- Farmers across the United States are prepared to plant the most corn since 1937, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report indicated Friday.
The Agriculture Department's Prospective Plantings Report by the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated corn plantings for 2012 at nearly 96 million acres, more than the 94 million acres estimated in February and up nearly 4 million acres from last year.
Agriculture officials' estimate of soybeans plantings was 74 million acres, less than a February estimate of 75 million acres. The Agriculture Department estimated wheat plantings at 56 million acres, less than the 58 million acres estimated in February but up 1.5 million acres from 2011.
Projections are based on an early March survey of growers nationwide.
"It's obviously important to see where producers are at right here at the beginning of the planting season," Chris Hurt, Purdue University extension agricultural economist, said in a university release.
"They are saying they're going to be very heavy in corn planting here in the Midwest, so overall, there are big numbers on corn acreage but low acreage intentions on soybeans."
