Ohio Farmer

Ohio wheat acres down; growers expect to plant fewer corn acres

Total principal acres in the state have dropped off during the past three years.

Jennifer Kiel, Editor, Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer

April 3, 2024

3 Min Read
Small corn plants growing in field
CORN DROP: Ohio growers, as well as growers across the U.S., are expected to plant less corn, according to a recently released National Agricultural Statistics Service report. Ohio corn acreage is expected to be down 8%, going from 3.6 million acres last year to 3.3 million this year. Yevhen Smyk/Getty Images

The recently released Prospective Plantings report predicts Ohio growers are going to plant fewer overall acres and less corn. Ohio’s principal acres have dropped off during the past three years, going from 9.87 million acres in 2022, to 9.85 million in 2023 and an anticipated 9.675 million acres in 2024.

The report estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of nearly 72,000 farm operators across the nation. It was released March 29 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Ohio’s corn acreage is also expected to be down 8%, going from 3.6 million acres last year to 3.3 million this year.

The rest of the country’s corn growers are expected to do the same, as they intend to plant 90 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2024, a decrease of 5% from last year. Planted acreage is expected to be down or unchanged in 38 of the 48 estimating states.

In addition to Ohio, corn acreage decreases of 300,000 acres or more from last year are expected in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota and Texas. The planted acreage in Iowa will be the lowest since 2006, while the planted acreage in Montana will be the highest since 1958, according to the report.

Soybeans acreage inches up

Some of that acreage is undoubtedly going into soybean acres. In Ohio, it’s anticipated to inch closer to what it was in 2022 at 5 million acres for 2024. It was 5.1 million acres in 2022 and 4.75 million acres in 2023.

Nationally, soybean growers intend to plant 86.5 million acres in 2024, up 3% from last year. Soybean planted acreage intentions are up or unchanged in 24 of the 29 estimating states over the prior year.

In addition to Ohio, increases of 100,000 acres or more are anticipated in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Michigan and South Dakota. A decrease of 180,000 acres is expected in Kansas. If realized, the planted area in Kentucky and New York will be the largest on record.

Forecast for wheat, oats, hay

Ohio’s winter wheat acreage is expected to drop considerably, 16%, from 650,000 acres to 530,000 acres. However, it’s 20,000 more acres than in 2022.

The decline nationally, however, in winter wheat is anticipated to be less dramatic at 7%. Winter wheat acres for the country are estimated at 34.1 million acres. The only states expecting increased acreage from 2023 are Montana and Washington. If realized, Utah, Michigan and Virginia will have record-low planted areas.

Oats have dropped 10,000 acres each year since 2022 in Ohio, and are predicted at 30,000 acres for 2024.

Hay acreage has been consistent in Ohio for the past three years and is projected at 815,000 acres for 2024.

Grain stocks report

On March 29, NASS also released the quarterly Grain Stocks report to provide estimates of on-farm and off-farm stocks as of March 1. Key findings in that report include:

  • Corn stocks totaled 8.35 billion bushels, up 13% from the same time last year. On-farm corn stocks were up 24% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks were down 1%.

  • Soybeans stored totaled 1.85 billion bushels, up 9% from March 1, 2023. On-farm soybean stocks were up 24% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks were down 3%.

  • All wheat stored totaled 1.09 billion bushels, up 16% from a year ago. On-farm wheat stocks were up 20% from last year, while off-farm stocks were up 14%.

The Prospective Plantings, Grain Stocks and all other NASS reports are available at nass.usda.gov.

About the Author

Jennifer Kiel

Editor, Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer

Jennifer was hired as editor of Michigan Farmer in 2003, and in 2015, she began serving a dual role as editor of Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer. Both those publications are now online only, while the print version is American Agriculturist, which covers Michigan, Ohio, the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic. She is the co-editor with Chris Torres.

Prior to joining Farm Progress, she served three years as the manager of communications and development for the American Farmland Trust Central Great Lakes Regional Office in Michigan, and as director of communications with the Michigan Agri-Business Association. Previously, she was the communications manager at Michigan Farm Bureau's state headquarters. She also lists 10 years of experience at six different daily and weekly Michigan newspapers on her resume.

She has been a member of American Agricultural Editors’ Association (now Agricultural Communicators Network) since 2003. She has won numerous writing and photography awards through that organization, which named her a Master Writer in 2006 and Writer of Merit in 2017.

She is a board member for the Michigan 4-H Foundation, Clinton County Conservation District and Barn Believers.

Jennifer and her husband, Chris, live in St. Johns, Mich., and collectively have five grown children and four grandchildren.

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