Farmers who participated in U.S. crop subsidy programs reported “prevented plantings” for 2013 of 3.573 million
acres of corn and 1.687 million acres of soybeans, the Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday.
Producers enrolled in subsidy programs for 2013 reported planted acreage,
including failed acres, at 91.428 million and 74.659 million of soybeans.
Producers who enroll in several Farm Services Agency programs must submit
to USDA an annual report regarding all cropland use on their farms.
USDA uses the information as an element in its crop estimates, which cover
all farms, not just those who participate in the farm program. In 2012, for
example, farmers under the subsidy umbrella reported 8.8 percent fewer corn
acres than USDA’s estimate at the end of the crop year.
Following are comparisons of farmer-reported plantings in August and
September and USDA’s June estimate, based on a survey of farms:
U.S. corn and soybean plantings
Prevented planting
(thousands of acres)
Crop June 28 Aug 15 Sept 17
Corn N/A 3,411 3,573
Soybeans N/A 1,619 1,687
U.S. corn and soybean plantings
Plantings
(thousands of acres)
Crop June 28 Aug 15 Sept 17
Corn 97,379 88,771 91,428
Soybeans 77,278 72,061 74,659
(Reporting by Ros Krasny and Charles Abbott
