Minnesota farmers intend to plant 8 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2017 according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Prospective Plantings report, from the Midwest Field Office.

This is 450,000 acres fewer than last year. If realized, this would be the lowest planted corn acreage since 2010.

Farmers in Minnesota intend to plant 8.25 million acres of soybeans, up 9% from 2016. If realized, this would be the largest planted soybean acreage on record.

Spring wheat producers intend to plant 1.29 million acres, down 20,000 acres from last year.

Minnesota oat producers intend to plant 180,000 acres of oats, down 30,000 acres from 2016. If realized, this would be tied with 2011 for the smallest number of oat acres planted.

Minnesota farmers intend to plant 90,000 acres of barley, down 5,000 acres from the previous year.

Minnesota farmers intend to harvest 1.60 million acres of dry hay in 2017, up 5% from last year.

Minnesota farmers intend to plant 430,000 acres of sugarbeets this year, down 7,000 acres from 2016.

Producers in Minnesota intend to plant 61,000 acres of sunflowers in 2017, down 19,000 acres from 2016. Oil sunflower intentions, at 50,000 acres, are 16,000 acres below 2016. Nonoil sunflower planting intentions, at 11,000 acres, are 3,000 acres below last year.

The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2017 planting intentions. NASS acreage estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of more than 84,000 farm operators across the United States, with more than 3,200 from Minnesota. Actual plantings will depend upon weather, economic conditions and the availability of production inputs at the time producers make their final planting decisions.

Source: USDA NASS