US farmers reduce soybean acreage and increase sunflower acreage – USDA

According to the latest estimates from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the area sown with corn for the 2025 harvest in the United States amounted to 38 million 540 thousand hectares, which is 5.1% more than last year. This figure is the third highest since 1944.

USDA estimated the area sown with soybeans at 33 million 750 thousand hectares, which is 4.2% less than in 2024 and lower than the average preliminary estimate of analysts at 33 million 860 thousand hectares and the USDA estimate from March 31 at 33 million 800 thousand hectares.

The department estimates canola crops at 13.1% lower than last year’s figures – 967 thousand hectares, sunflower crops at 37.5% higher – 401 thousand hectares.

Wheat was sown on 18 million 410 thousand hectares, which is 1.3% less than in 2024, including soft winter wheat – 13 million 480 thousand hectares (-0.3%), soft spring wheat – 4 million 65 thousand hectares (-5.3%), hard wheat – 850 thousand hectares (+1.9%).

Maintaining the sowing area for soybeans at the level planned for March is a big victory, given the potential opportunity that the United States faced due to the trade war with China and the gloomy prospects for soybean exports, the department notes.

Earlier it became known that the deficit in trade in agricultural products in the United States reached a record $20 billion and continues to grow.

Tags: sown area, soybean, sunseed, USA