InfoSAWIT, ARLINGTON – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects that American farmers will plant around 94 million acres of corn and 85 million acres of soybeans during the 2026 spring planting season.

U.S. corn production is projected to reach 15.755 billion bushels, with ending stocks for the 2026–2027 marketing year estimated at 1.837 billion bushels.

Soybean planting, meanwhile, is expected to increase to 85 million acres compared to 81.2 million acres last year. Production is projected at 4.450 billion bushels, with ending stocks rising to 355 million bushels.

Despite the outlook, U.S. farmers face growing uncertainty from weather variability, commodity price movements, and the potential for abundant global supply from major producers such as Brazil.

Expanded planting areas may also push fertilizer consumption to record levels, as farmers are unlikely to reduce nutrient use due to the risk of lower yields, as reported by ICIS on Thursday (Feb 26, 2026). (T2)