Corn acres exceed soybeans again.
U.S. farmers are shifting crop strategies in 2025, with corn once again taking the lead. According to USDA’s March Prospective Plantings report, total corn planted area for all purposes is expected to reach 95.3 million acres. That’s up 5 percent from 2024, an increase of 4.73 million acres. Plantings are forecast to rise or hold steady in 40 of the 48 estimating states, suggesting strong national confidence in corn profitability this year.
The report projects soybean acreage to decline. Farmers plan to sow 83.5 million acres in 2025 — down 4 percent from last year. In 23 of the 29 estimating states, soybean acreage is expected to decrease or remain unchanged. The dip may reflect weaker price expectations and higher input costs.
All wheat planted area for 2025 is estimated at 45.4 million acres, down 2 percent from 2024. If realized, it would mark the second-lowest wheat planted area on record since 1919. Winter wheat makes up 33.3 million acres of that total, down slightly from the previous year. Other spring wheat plantings are forecast at 10.0 million acres, down 6 percent, while durum wheat is expected at 2.02 million acres, a 2 percent decrease from 2024.
Cotton is also seeing a notable reduction. The 2025 projected planted area is 9.87 million acres — a 12 percent decline from last year. Upland cotton comprises 9.71 million acres of that total.
These shifts reflect how growers are responding to changing market signals, volatile input costs, and regional agronomic pressures. The increase in corn acreage points to stronger price prospects and more favorable returns, while the declines in soybeans, wheat, and cotton suggest a more cautious approach as farmers look to manage risk heading into the 2025 growing season.
