US farmers sow more soybeans and less corn – USDA

In 2026, U.S. farmers will plant more soybeans and less corn than last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts. However, gross harvests of both crops could be the second-highest on record, Reuters reports.

The agency forecasts corn plantings to be 94 million acres this year, down from 98.8 million acres in 2025, when they reached an 89-year high. Soybean plantings are expected to increase from 81.2 million to 85 million acres.

This year, U.S. farmers are facing difficult decisions due to a global supply glut, low agricultural prices, and rising costs of inputs such as seeds and fertilizer. U.S. farm incomes are projected to decline 0.7%, despite near-record government payments, which are expected to account for nearly 29% of producer revenue.

Most Midwestern farmers grow both soybeans and corn, rotating crops annually within each field to maintain soil fertility. However, some acreage may expand beyond the traditional rotation if farmers see the potential for greater profits.

Low corn prices and ample supplies following a record harvest in 2025 were expected to discourage farmers from expanding their acreage this year. However, strong demand for corn from exporters and biofuel producers will likely limit a sharper decline, analysts believe.

The increase in soybean acreage will occur despite ongoing trade tensions with China, the largest soybean importer, and fierce competition from Brazil, where farmers are harvesting a record crop.

Growing domestic demand for soybean oil from renewable fuel producers supported soybean prices.

If weather conditions are no worse than normal, the US corn harvest in 2026 will reach 15.755 billion bushels, and the soybean harvest will reach 4.450 billion bushels, according to the USDA.

After satisfying demand from exporters, feed producers, and biofuel producers, the US will have 1.837 billion bushels of corn remaining by the end of the 2026/2027 season, which ends on August 31, 2027, below the seven-year high of 2.127 billion bushels reached the previous year.

Soybean inventories by the end of the 2026/2027 season will increase slightly, from 350 million bushels to 355 million bushels.

The USDA forecasts corn exports in the 2026/27 season to be 3.1 billion bushels, down 200 million bushels from the 2025/26 season due to increased competition from South American suppliers, while soybean exports are expected to rise 125 million bushels to a two-year high of 1.7 billion bushels.

Demand from U.S. soybean crushers is forecast to reach a record 2.655 billion bushels.

U.S. wheat stocks are forecast to reach 933 million bushels by the end of the 2026/27 season, virtually flat compared to the 2025/26 season, as lower exports following record harvests in Argentina and Australia offset lower U.S. production.

The USDA forecasts wheat exports in the 2026/27 season at 850 million bushels, down 50 million from the current season.

Tags: corn, soybean, USA, sown area