U.S. farmers are expected to trim corn acres next year after plantings in 2025 hit a nearly 90-year high, while soybean acres are seen posting a rise, according to the latest Ag Economists Monthly Monitor.
Views vary, however, on the size of those expected shifts.
The November survey, conducted by Farm Journal, found 40% of economists expect corn acres to top 95 million in 2026, while another 40% see plantings coming in between 93 million and 95 million acres. Twenty percent look for acres to fall to between 91 million and 93 million, a sharp drop from the 98.7 million planted in 2025.
Last year’s figure was the highest since 1936, with plantings driven by a more profitable outlook for corn, signs of robust demand and crop rotations. Corn acres jumped 8.1 million acres in 2025, taking area away from other crops. Soybean acres fell around 6 million acres, with farmers in part spooked by rising trade tensions with China early last year. Those concerns proved well-founded.
Crop rotation and input costs are likely to be a major driver in a pullback in corn acres relative to soybeans in 2026. Soybeans typically require less expense toward certain inputs like fertilizer, making them a more economically viable option as chemical prices remain well above a year ago.
The survey found 53% of economists expect farmers to plant 82 million to 84 million acres of soybeans in 2026, up from 81.1 million acres in 2025. A significant minority expects a bigger increase, with 40% pegging plantings at 84 million to 86 million acres and 7% looking for a figure above 86 million.
Advisory firm S&P Global Energy earlier this month estimated 2026 corn acres at 95 million
and soybean acres at 84.5 million. The estimates were based on a survey of farmers and agribusinesses, S&P Global Energy said.
Cotton acres fell 1.9 million in 2025, with a chunk of that ceded to corn. Economists largely see little change in cotton acres next year, with 60% looking for plantings between 9 million to 10 million acres versus 9.3 million last year. Around 13% expect cotton acres to total between 10 million and 11 million acres, while 27% see a fall to below 9 million acres.
Lackluster demand and the absence of firm commitments to purchase U.S. cotton has weighed heavily on prices this year, reducing the incentive for growers in the south who have alternative crops to choose from.
The last time cotton acres dipped below the 9 million mark was 2015, a year where the average farm price per pound was down to 61.3 cents for the year. Currently USDA estimates the average farm-price for this season at 64 cents per pound.