ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Illinois farmers intend to plant more soybeans and less corn this year compared to 2020, according to the USDA NASS Heartland Regional Field Office.
Corn growers intend to plant 10.9 million acres in 2021, down 4 percent from 2020. Soybean planted area is expected to total 10.7 million acres, up 4 percent from the previous year.
Winter wheat area seeded last fall is estimated at 700,000 acres, up 23 percent from the previous year. Area planted to oats is expected to total 60,000 acres, unchanged from 2020. Producers intend to harvest 450,000 acres of all hay in 2021, down 8 percent from last year.
Nationally, corn planted area for all purposes in 2021 is estimated at 91.1 million acres, up less than 1 percent or an increase of 325,000 acres from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be up or unchanged in 24 of the 48 estimating States.
U.S. soybean planted area for 2021 is estimated at 87.6 million acres, up 5 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage is up or unchanged in 23 of the 29 estimating States.
Nationally, all wheat planted area for 2021 is estimated at 46.4 million acres, up 5 percent from 2020. This represents the fourth lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919. The 2021 winter wheat planted area, at 33.1 million acres, is up 9 percent from last year and up 3 percent from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 23.2 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 6.42 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.48 million acres are White Winter. Area expected to be planted to other spring wheat for 2021 is estimated at 11.7 million acres, down 4 percent from 2020. Of this total, about 10.9 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2021 is expected to total 1.54 million acres, down 9 percent from the previous year.
—USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
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