Delayed Spring Plantings Causing Acreage Shift
June 12, 2013 Rainfall in the U.S. Midwest will continue to slow late plantings of corn and soybeans, but the moisture will boost growth and development of crops that have been planted, an agricultural meteorologist said on Wednesday.
“There will be frequent storms for the next week to 10 days, bringing pretty much excellent conditions for crop development, but it will slow late plantings,” said Andy Karst, meteorologist for World Weather Inc.
Karst said farmers would have several brief windows of opportunity to plant their remaining corn and soybean crops. Because of excessive wet weather this spring, planting has hit its slowest pace since the mid-1990s, causing a shift away from corn acreage to soybeans.
Grain analysts polled by Reuters on Tuesday estimated that the USDA on Wednesday would reduce its 2013 U.S. corn plantings forecast by nearly 1.5 million acres and raise soybean acreage 700,000 due to persistent spring rains.
The USDA currently estimates U.S. corn planted acreage at 97.3 million, which is the most since the 1930s.
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