USDA: US farmers will plant 5% more soya acres in 2026 and 3% less corn acres.

U.S. Farmers planted 3% less corn acres than they did a year earlier, but it is still the 4th largest acreage in 82 years, according to government data released on Tuesday. This was after growers scrambled frantically to "capitalize" on rising grain prices and good growing weather.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report that stated U.S. Farmers planted 95.343 millions acres of corn by 2026. This is down from last year's 98.788. They also planted 85.365 acres of soybeans. This was up from the 81.215 in 2025.

Chicago Board of Trade Corn and Soybean futures increased after USDA said that "stocks of these crops were lower than analysts' expectations." Low grain prices and the Iran War have caused farmers to struggle financially.

Analysts expected farmers to switch acres from corn to wheat and soybeans this spring, because corn requires more fertilizer for large yields. Analysts said that the favorable weather and rising grain prices in spring discouraged farmers from cutting back on corn plantings.

Analysts on average predicted corn seedings of 95 million acres ahead of Tuesday's update. This is below USDA's forecast for 95.3 million acres in March and lower than the 98.8 million acres seeded by 2025.

USDA reported that the total U.S. planting of wheat fell from 45.328 millions acres in 2025 to 42.770 million acres.

USDA's separate quarterly grain stock report stated that U.S. corn inventories as of June 1 were 5.295 billion bushels. This is up 14% compared to 2.336 billion bushels a year ago.

Farmers held back more grain from their older crops as prices fell. On farms, there are 2.959 billion bushels of corn, which is up 16% compared to a year earlier. Off-farm stock was up 12% at 2.336 billion Bushels.

As of June 1, soybean supplies were also up at 1.061 bn bushels, compared to 1.008 bn bushels a year ago. Stocks of all-wheat increased to 920.1 millions bushels, up from 854.7 million bushels a year earlier. (Reporting from P.J. Huffstutter)

(source: Reuters)