American farmers, who planned the largest increase in corn crops in 5 years, may now prefer soybeans

New tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump could change the expected redistribution of acreage in the US. Farmers who had planned for the largest increase in corn plantings in five years may now prefer soybeans due to trade restrictions and higher fertilizer prices, Successful Farming reports.

Initially, US farmers were expected to plant 94 million acres of corn (+3.4 million acres compared to last year), while soybeans would shrink to 84 million acres (-3.1 million). However, analysts note that tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico and China have already affected key market indicators, shifting the advantage in favor of soybeans.

Corn futures, which had previously risen, almost completely lost their 2025 gains as tariffs limit the export opportunities of American farmers. At the same time, fertilizer prices have risen, which are significantly more expensive for growing corn than soybeans.

The average forecast for 2025 acreage by experts was 93.6 million acres of corn (+3.3%) and 84.4 million acres of soybeans (-3%). At the same time, the spread of forecasts was the largest in the past three years.

A separate risk factor is the sharp increase in fertilizer prices. Potash fertilizer prices rose from $303/t in early January to $348/t by the end of February, and this trend may continue. US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on most Canadian goods, later granting a month-long deferral for some of them, including fertilizers. However, Canada is delaying a new round of tariffs until April 2, creating additional uncertainty.

Tags: corn, soybean, USA