LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the Planting Intentions report today, showing Kentucky farmers intend to plant less corn, but more soybeans this year.
“Soybean acreage is estimated to be a record high, while corn acreage is expected to dip to the lowest level since 2009,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “The survey was conducted before farmers had a chance to assess freeze damage to wheat, and therefore any decisions involving wheat acreage seeded last fall are not reflected in this report.”
Knopf added that these are only the planting intentions for the season.
“Farmer intentions often change for a variety of reasons, such as market prices,” he said. “Weather conditions can also often dictate planting decisions between March and July.”
Farmers in Kentucky intend to plant 1.32 million acres of corn, 180,000 lower than 2016. U.S. corn growers intend to plant 90 million acres for all purposes in 2017, down four percent from last year and two percent higher than 2015.
Soybean acreage in Kentucky was expected to total 1.90 million acres, up 110,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. soybean planted area for 2017 is estimated at 89.5 million acres, up seven percent from last year and a record high.
Other Planting Intentions
Burley tobacco growers in Kentucky intend to set 65,000 acres for harvest, up 4,000 acres from 2016. For the burley producing states, growers intend to set 85,300 acres, seven percent above last year.
Producers intend to set 10,000 acres of dark-fired tobacco in Kentucky, up 500 acres from the previous year. Acreage set to dark-air tobacco was estimated at 5,300 acres, up 500 acres from 2016.
Winter wheat seeded by Kentucky farmers in the fall of 2016 totaled 490,000 acres, down 20,000 acres from previous year. Seeded acreage for the nation was 46.1 million acres, down nine percent from 2015.
Farmers in the state intend to harvest 2.15 million acres of all hay, down 100,000 from 2016. U.S. farmers intend on harvesting 52.8 million acres of hay in 2017, down one percent from last year.
“The percentage of farmer responses to the survey was up from a year ago, increasing data accuracy,” Knopf noted. “I appreciate their cooperation while they are busy preparing for planting.”
For more information on Kentucky surveys and reports, visit https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kentucky/. For more information, call the field office at 1-800-928-5277.
— USDA NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Field Office
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