By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH

Indiana Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Farmers reported 11.2 million acres of prevent-plant corn and 4.4 million acres of soybeans for 2019 – both significant increases over last year, according to statistics released Monday by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).

In a separate report also released Monday by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the agency said corn and soybean production as of August 1 is projected to be down from 2018. The soybean crop is estimated to be 3.68 billion bushels, a drop of 19 percent, while corn is anticipated at 13.9 billion bushels, down 4 percent.

The average soybean yield is estimated to be 48.5 bushels per acre, down 3.1; the average corn yield is projected to be 169.5 bushels, a drop of 6.9.

NASS estimated farmers planted 90 million acres of corn, up 1 percent from last year. The soybean acreage projection of 76.7 million acres is a drop of 14 percent. The corn acreage and production numbers were higher than pre-report estimates, while soybeans were lower, said Dana Mantini, DTN senior analyst.

Trade had expected corn production of 13.2 billion bushels and planted acres at 87.9 million. For soybeans, the pre-report projections were for a crop of 3.78 billion bushels and an acreage of 79.3 million.

“The (USDA) report does help solve some of the questions regarding acreage,” said Rich Nelson, Allendale, Inc. chief strategist. “The bottom line on the corn side is much higher than expected and much higher than we wanted to see.”

Last year, FSA reported 918,213 corn prevent-plant acres and 271,082 soybean acres. In this region in 2019, Illinois has had 1.1 million prevent-plant acres of corn (6,041 last year); Indiana 708,746 (9,405); Iowa 381,015 (13,192); Kentucky 45,736 (9,006); Michigan 498,046 (37,276); Ohio 880,992 (24,875); and Tennessee 30,834 (20,684).

For soybeans, Illinois had 330,638 prevent-plant acres this year (compared to 11,260 in 2018); Indiana 231,161 (6,550); Iowa 82,216 (4,525); Kentucky 38,635 (5,978); Michigan 349,481 (10,671); Ohio 598,981 (19,824); and Tennessee 50,126 (5,365).

The FSA’s data are similar to information from producers found in the July Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer released August 6. The survey – taken from July 15-19 – asked 400 farmers across the country if they were going to take a prevent-plant payment on any of the corn or soybean acres they intended to plant in 2019, said Jim Mintert, a Purdue professor of agricultural economics.

Twenty-five percent of producers said they would file a prevent-plant claim on some of their intended corn acreage while 24 percent said they would do so on some of their intended soybeans. Of those who said they would file a corn claim, 61 percent said their prevented planting totaled 15 percent or more of their intended acreage, Mintert said.

Meanwhile, 60 percent of those producers who said they would file a soybean claim said they were going to take prevent-plant on at least 10 percent of their intended soybean acres.

“Corn Belt farmers had a very challenging spring planting season and a lot of difficulty getting their corn and soybean crops planted,” he added.

NASS said planted corn in Illinois is estimated at 10.7 million acres; Indiana 5.1 million; Iowa 13.6 million; Kentucky 1.6 million; Michigan 2 million; Ohio 2.8 million; and Tennessee 970,000. Production is expected to be up in Iowa, Kentucky, and Tennessee and down in the rest of this region.

For soybeans, Illinois is projected to have 10 million acres; Indiana 5.4 million; Iowa 9.2 million; Kentucky 1.7 million; Michigan 1.8 million; Ohio 4.2 million; and Tennessee 1.5 million. Production is estimated to be down in each state in this region.