The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has announced that Virginia farmers intend to increase planted acreage for soybeans, cotton and corn but decrease acreage for peanuts.

Virginia’s soybean producers intend to increase acreage in 2011 to 590,000 according to the results of a survey conducted March 1 by the USDA/NASS Virginia Field Office. If realized, planted acreage would be 30,000 acres above last year.

Virginia’s cotton producers expect to plant 125,000 acres, up 51 percent from last year.

Corn acreage is estimated to be 510,000 acres, an increase of 20,000 acres from 2010. Peanut producers intend to plant 14,000 acres, a decrease of 4,000 acres from last year.

Intentions for flue-cured tobaccoacreage are 18,500 acres, an increase from last year’s of 17,500 acres. Fire-cured tobaccoproducers intend to harvest 550 acres, a 100 acre decrease from last year. Burley tobaccoproducers intend to harvest 1,650 acres this year, which is an increase of 50 acres from 2010.

Oats producers intend to plant 11,000 acres, 1,000 acres less than the previous year. Winter wheat acres increased 61 percent to 290,000 acres. Barley acreage seeded last fall for all uses was 100,000 acres, up 33 percent from last year.

Land intended for hay production is 1,380,000 acres, up four percent from 2010.

Planting of major row crops is just in the beginning or planning stages. Therefore, producers may change their plans as the planting season progresses.

Nationwide, corn planted acreage could be up five percent from 2010, soybean acreage down one percent, all wheat acreage up eight percent and all cotton acreage up 15 percent.

Find agricultural statistics for your specific counties and states at www.nass.usda.gov.