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It’s no secret that U.S. soybean exports have been in the doldrums for the past year. Year-to-date...
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2026
(Des Moines) - Trader PhD, an agricultural advisory firm, released its survey-based acreage estimates for corn, soybeans, and wheat for the 2026 growing season.
The company expects corn acres to moderate from last year’s levels, largely due to crop rotations, while soybean acres are expected to climb substantially. The survey found that corn acreage is expected to drop by 2.4% from last year to 96.5 million acres. Meanwhile, soybeans could gain back 5.3 million acres to reach 86.5 million this season.
“The corn-to-soybean ratio undoubtedly favors more soybean plantings, more so based on normal crop rotations than the price ratio,” said Head of Market Content Dawson Schmitt. “It would be no surprise to see a moderation of corn acres from last year’s outlier estimate. Survey responses and conversations with producers have highlighted a strong bias toward corn planting.
Producers are expected to plant fewer corn acres compared to a survey conducted in February, while soybeans could gain more acres than initially expected.
The Trader PhD survey projects all wheat acres to fall 5.3% to 43 million acres. If realized, that would be the lowest on record for data going back to 1919.
“U.S. wheat acreage has been trending lower over the past decade,” Schmitt noted. “U.S. wheat has struggled to compete in the export market among other global competitors, easily leading to higher stocks.”
A February survey initially projected a 7.3% decrease in wheat acres.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said their planting decisions were based on their normal crop rotation. Crop prices were the No. 2 reason (17%) for planting decisions. Fertilizer/input prices also impacted some planting decisions this season.
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About Trader PhD
Trader PhD Ag Marketing is a grain and livestock market advisory service designed to help farmers manage risk and capitalize on opportunities. With over 30 years of experience supporting farmers and ranchers, our team excels in strategic hedging and speculating in the livestock and grain markets. This expertise enables us to navigate market changes effectively and offer valuable strategic insights for informed decision-making.
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PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. FUTURES TRADING INVOLVES SUBSTANTIAL RISK AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL INVESTORS.
