Farmers in the northern Plains will plant more acres of corn and soybeans and fewer acres of spring wheat in 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its March 31 Prospective Plantings.
The report is based on a survey of a sample of about 72,900 farmers across the United States that was taken during the first two weeks of March.
Corn acreage in Minnesota, the U.S.’s fourth highest corn production state, is pegged at 8.4 million acres, an increase of 4% over the 8 million planted in 2022. In South Dakota, farmers plan to plant an estimated 5.9 million acres, which is 3% more than the 5.75 million they planted last year.
Nationwide, farmers plan to plant a total of 92 million acres of corn, 4% — or 3.4 million acres — more than in 2022, USDA estimated.
Total 2023 U.S. soybean acreage is estimated to be 87.5 million acres, similar to last year, USDA said.
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However, acreage in North Dakota is expected to rise significantly to 6.6 million in 2023, a 15% or nearly 1 million acre increase over last year, USDA said. In Minnesota, farmers are expected to increase acreage slightly to 7.6 million over last year, and in South Dakota, 2023 acreage is expected to increase by 4% — or 200,000 acres — over last year to 5.3 million.
While total U.S. wheat acreage is estimated to increase by 9% over 2022 to 49.9 million this year, spring wheat acres are estimated to decline by 2% to 10.6 million acres. Last year, U.S. farmers planted a total of 10.8 million spring wheat acres.
North Dakota farmers plan to reduce their spring wheat acres by 2% or 100,000 acres from a year ago to 5.2 million, and Minnesota farmers plan to plant 4% less than last year — or 70,000 — to 1.2 million. South Dakota farmers plan to plant 730,000 acres of spring wheat, the same number they planted last year, USDA said.
This year, like last year, northern Plains farmers’ planting plans between when the survey was taken and when they get in the field could change as they adjust for their field conditions.
Last year, excessive wet and cold weather delayed spring planting across North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota for several weeks.
That resulted in reductions in the amount of soybeans they had intended to plant in 2022 and the number of acres that got in the ground. The March 31, 2022, planting intentions report, for example, estimated that Minnesota farmers would plant 8 million acres of soybeans, North Dakota farmers would plant 7 million and South Dakota farmers would plant 5.3 million.
Acres planted in 2022 were 7.5 million in Minnesota, 5.7 million in North Dakota, and 5.1 million in South Dakota.
Total U.S. soybean acres also were lower in 2022 than were estimated in that year’s March 31 planting intentions report. The March 31 report pegged at a record 91 million, 3.5 million more than were planted in 2022.
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USDA’s corn planting intentions estimates also were higher in 2022 than the number of acres planted. The agency estimated total U.S. corn acreage at 89.5 million. Total planted acreage in 2022 was about 1 million acres less than that.
North Dakota farmers planted 2.95 million acres of corn in 2022, South Dakota farmers 5.8 million and Minnesota farmers 8 million. The 2022 planting intentions report pegged acreage in those states at 3.35 million, 6.2 million and 8 million, respectively.
In 2022, the total spring wheat acreage estimate of 10.5 million was slightly lower than the planting intentions estimate of 10.8 million. USDA pegged durum acreage at 1.92 million in the planting intentions report; planted acres in 2022 were 1.6 million.
With several feet of snow on the ground across North Dakota, northern South Dakota and western Minnesota and the forecast for above normal precipitation and below normal temperatures to continue until mid-April, it’s likely that farmers this year again will be adjusting their planting plans.
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