NEWS RELEASE

Download word document

Immediate Release:
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Nebraska Corn Board contacts:
Don Hutchens: 800.632.6761

USDA: Nebraska corn producers aim to plant nearly 9 million acres

LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska corn producers intend to plant some 8.8 million acres of corn this year, the same number of acres that producers in the state planted in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Prospective Plantings report released this morning. The report is based on a survey conducted in early March.

Nationally, USDA said, corn producers intend to plant 85.0 million acres, down 1 percent from last year’s 86.0 million. Although acres are down from last year and two years ago, prospective plantings this year are still the third largest since 1949, and planting intentions in the top 10 corn states have increased slightly over last year.

In 2007, Nebraska producers planted 9.4 million acres of corn, the most since the 1930s, while nationally farmers planted 93.6 million acres, the most since the 1940s.

Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, said the report indicates that Nebraska will remain a consistent supplier of corn. “In turn, that means the state’s livestock and ethanol industries can count on a steady supply of high-quality corn grown in the state,” he said.
 
Certainly final acreage numbers can change based on springtime weather and market changes since the farmer survey was taken, but Hutchens said the report indicates that farmers are ready to meet all the feed, food and fuel demands for corn.

“The supply side for corn looks extremely healthy, as planting intentions would be the third-largest on record,” Hutchens said. “Farmers have seen some input costs fall, which will help their bottom line, and once planting starts, the large investment farmers make in planting the crop will provide a stimulus package to rural communities.”

USDA also released a report on corn stocks. It said the U.S. had 8.8 billion bushels on hand as of March 1, an increase of 1 percent from a year ago. Of that total, on farm storage is 4.1 billion bushels, an 8 percent increase.

In Nebraska, there were 808.3 million bushels on hand, an increase 5.4 percent from 766.8 million a year ago. Nebraska on farm storage totaled 490 million bushels, an increase of 13.9 percent.

“Stocks, especially on farm, are up following the second-largest crop in history last year,” Hutchens said. “The best way to add value to that corn is to see demand pick up from ethanol and livestock industries right here in the state, and hopefully that will happen over the next few months.”

The Nebraska Corn Board is a self-help program, funded and managed by Nebraska corn farmers. Producers invest in the program at a rate of 1/4 of a cent per bushel of corn sold. Nebraska corn checkoff funds are invested in programs of market development, research and education.

-30-