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USDA: Farmers plant record soybean crop, less corn

Ag/Outdoor

June 30th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – American farmers have planted less corn than in any year since 2010 but more soybeans than ever, as expected. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its annual Acreage Report released Monday that farmers planted 91.6 million acres of corn. That’s 4 percent less than last year but still the fifth-largest corn crop planted since 1944. Analysts expected some farmers to devote more acreage to soybeans because of a drop in corn prices.

The USDA says farmers planted a record high 84.8 million acres of soybeans, up 11 percent from last year. Record soybean acres have been planted in Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Seventy-six percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition, compared with 63 percent last year.