Staggering numbers. So far, U.S. farmers report they were not able to plant crops on more than 19.4 million acres this year.

According to an Aug. 12 USDA report, this year’s prevented plant acres reported by U.S. farmers is 17.49 million acres more than reported at this time last year, and the most prevented plant acres reported since the Farm Service Agency began releasing the report in 2007.

By far, most of the reported prevented plant acres are in the Midwest, but Southern farmers also faced tremendous planting challenges this year.

Southern farmers reported more than 4 million acres of prevented plant. Most of these prevented plantings occurred in the Delta region, where flooding caused major damage and hampered spring planting intentions.

Prevented planting, according to USDA, is the inability to plant the intended crop acreage with proper equipment by the final planting date for the crop because of a natural disaster.

“Agricultural producers across the country are facing significant challenges and tough decisions on their farms and ranches,” says USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey in an Aug. 12 statement. “We know these are challenging times for farmers, and we have worked to improve the flexibility of our programs to assist producers prevented from planting.”

The crop acreage data report outlines the number of acres planted, prevented from planting, and failed by crop, county and state. Some producers have not completed their filings for prevented acres. Data are still being processed, and FSA says it will make available subsequent reports in September, October, November, December and January.

Southern Prevented Plant Acres

Alabama – 82,000

Arkansas – 1.3 million

Florida – 700

Georgia - 37,000

Kentucky – 134,000

Louisiana – 468,000

Mississippi – 622,000

North Carolina – 318,000

South Carolina - 171,000

Tennessee - 250,000

Texas – 866,000

Virginia – 40,000