Estimated U.S. corn and soybean plantings for 2012 are up 5 percent and 1 percent, respectively, from last year, while cotton acres are down 14 percent, according to USDA’s June 29 Acreage Report. The estimates for U.S. rice acres declined by 1 percent, while peanut acres rose slightly.

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2012 is estimated at 96.4 million acres, up 5 percent from last year which represents the highest planted acreage in the United States since 1937 when an estimated 97.2 million acres were planted. Growers expect to harvest 88.9 million acres for grain, up 6 percent from last year.

Soybean planted area for 2012 is estimated at 76.1 million acres, up 1 percent from last year and the third highest on record. Area for harvest, at 75.3 million acres, is up 2 percent from 2011. Record-high planted acreage is estimated in New York, North Dakota and Pennsylvania, and planted area in South Dakota ties the previous record high.

All cotton planted area for 2012 is estimated at 12.6 million acres, 14 percent below last year. Upland area is estimated at 12.4 million acres, down 14 percent from 2011. Pima area is estimated at 235,000 acres, down 24 percent from 2011.

Area planted to rice in 2012 is estimated at 2.66 million acres, down 1 percent from 2011 and the lowest planted acreage since 1987. Area for harvest is forecast at 2.64 million acres, up 1 percent from last year. While long grain planted area is up 8 percent from last year, medium grain area is down 21 percent.

Area planted to rice is up in Arkansas and Missouri, where severe spring flooding prevented planting last year. In Texas, where water restrictions are in place as a result of drought conditions, planted area is estimated at a record low 114,000 acres. Area planted to rice in Mississippi is the lowest since 1977.

Area planted to peanuts in 2012 is estimated at 1.53 million acres, up 34 percent from 2011. Area for harvest is forecast at 1.49 million acres, up 35 percent from last year. Mississippi more than tripled its peanut plantings, going from 15,000 acres in 2011 to 50,000 acres in 2012.

All wheat planted area is estimated at 56 million acres, up 3 percent from 2011. The 2012 winter wheat planted area, at 41.8 million acres, is up 3 percent from last year and up slightly from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 30 million acres are hard red winter, 8.3 million acres are soft red winter, and 3.5 million acres are white winter.

Area planted to other spring wheat for 2012 is estimated at 12 million acres, down 3 percent from 2011. Of this total, about 11.4 million acres are hard red spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2012 is estimated at 2.20 million acres, up 61 percent from the previous year.