Key acreage, grain stocks data coming March 31

March planting intentions is getting much of the pre-report hype, but March 1 grain stocks could end up being the data that moves markets.

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usda
(USDA)

Fewer corn acres, more soybean seedings expected... USDA’s Prospective Plantings Report at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday is widely expected to show farmers intend to plant fewer acres to corn this year and more soybean seedings. Based on the average pre-report estimates from a Reuters survey, corn acres are expected to decline about 1.4 million acres to 92.0 million acres and soybean area is likely to expand by about 1.5 million acres to 88.7 million acres. But the range of estimates is wide for both. Traders also expect all wheat acres to rise to nearly 47.8 million acres, including 34.4 million acres of winter wheat, 11.8 million acres of other spring wheat and 1.7 million acres of durum. Cotton seedings are expected to decline modestly from last year to 12.0 million acres.

Expectations for
Prospective Plantings Report

Corn – million acres

Average est.

92.001

Range

89.700-93.500

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

91.900

USDA final 2021

93.357

Soybeans – million acres

Average est.

88.727

Range

86.000-92.208

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

87.800

USDA final 2021

87.195

All wheat – million acres

Average est.

47.771

Range

45.900-48.892

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

48.500

USDA final 2021

46.703

Winter wheat – million acres

Average est.

34.382

Range

33.650-35.600

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

34.400

USDA final 2021

33.648

Other spring wheat – million acres

Average est.

11.801

Range

10.800-12.450

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

12.350

USDA final 2021

11.420

Durum wheat – million acres

Average est.

1.727

Range

1.500-1.835

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

1.750

USDA final 2021

1.635

Cotton – million acres

Average est.

12.007

Range

11.700-12.200

Pro Farmer/Doane survey

12.000

USDA final 2021

12.093

Huge range of estimates for March 1 grain stocks... Plantings intentions are getting much of the attention ahead of Thursday’s USDA reports. But it could be March 1 stocks that end up moving markets. The corn market has a history of major misses on quarterly stocks and the pre-report range of estimates is wide for corn, soybeans and wheat.

Expectations for
Quarterly Grain Stocks Report

Corn – billion bu.

Average est. for March 1, 2022

7.877

Range

7.630-8.087

USDA Dec. 1, 2021

11.647

USDA March 1, 2021

7.696

Soybeans – billion bu.

Average est. for March 1, 2022

1.902

Range

1.562-1.965

USDA Dec. 1, 2021

3.149

USDA March 1, 2021

1.562

Wheat – billion bu.

Average est. for March 1, 2022

1.045

Range

0.998-1.302

USDA Dec. 1, 2021

1.390

USDA March 1, 2021

1.311