KUAR | By Ryan McGeeney / U of A System Division of Agriculture
Planted acreage for all major commodity crops fell from growers’ stated planting intentions in March, according to a report issued Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the across-the-board drop came as a surprise.
“When you tally up the March-to-June difference for all crops — soybeans, rice, corn, cotton and peanuts — June acres are 155,000 less than March intentions,” Stiles said. “You'd think with the wet April conditions that soybeans would have been the beneficiary and come in higher than the March estimate.
Dan Charles/NPR
Arkansas farmer David Wildy inspects a field of soybeans that were damaged by dicamba in 2017.