Market Report from Adam Brinker, Strategic Account Manager Pioneer.

Soybean Acreage Down 1 Percent

Corn Planted Acreage Down 2 Percent from 2017

All Wheat Acreage Up 3 Percent

All Cotton Acreage Up 7 Percent

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2018 is estimated at 88.0 million acres, down 2 percent or 2.14 million acres from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be down or unchanged in 33 of the 48 estimating States.

Soybean planted area for 2018 is estimated at 89.0 million acres, down 1 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage intentions are down or unchanged in 20 of the 31 estimating States.

All wheat planted area for 2018 is estimated at 47.3 million acres, up 3 percent from 2017. This represents the second lowest all wheat planted area on record since records began in 1919. The 2018 winter wheat planted area, at 32.7 million acres, is up slightly from both last year and the previous estimate. Of this total, about 23.2 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 5.85 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.64 million acres are White Winter. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2018 is estimated at 12.6 million acres, up 15 percent from 2017. Of this total, about 12.1 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2018 is estimated at 2.00 million acres, down 13 percent from the previous year.

All cotton planted area for 2018 is estimated at 13.5 million acres, 7 percent above last year. Upland area is estimated at 13.2 million acres, up 7 percent from 2017. American Pima area is estimated at 262,000 acres, up 4 percent from 2017.

Grain Stocks:

Corn Stocks Up 3 Percent from March 2017

Soybean Stocks Up 21 Percent

All Wheat Stocks Down 10 Percent

Corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2018 totaled 8.89 billion bushels, up 3 percent from March 1, 2017. Of the total stocks, 5.00 billion bushels were stored on farms, up 2 percent from a year earlier. Off-farm stocks, at 3.89 billion bushels, are up 5 percent from a year ago. The December 2017 – February 2018 indicated disappearance is 3.68 billion bushels, compared with 3.76 billion bushels during the same period last year.

Soybeans stored in all positions on March 1, 2018 totaled 2.11 billion bushels, up 21 percent from March 1, 2017. Soybean stocks stored on farms are estimated at 855 million bushels, up 28 percent from a year ago. Off-farm stocks, at 1.25 billion bushels, are up 17 percent from last March. Indicated disappearance for the December 2017 – February 2018 quarter totaled 1.05 billion bushels, down 9 percent from the same period a year earlier.

All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2018 totaled 1.49 billion bushels, down 10 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks are estimated at 259 million bushels, down 26 percent from last March. Off-farm stocks, at 1.24 billion bushels, are down 6 percent from a year ago. The December 2017 – February 2018 indicated disappearance is 379 million bushels, 10 percent below the same period a year earlier.

Durum wheat stocks in all positions on March 1, 2018 totaled 49.2 million bushels, down 7 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks, at 25.8 million bushels, are down 20 percent from March 1, 2017. Off-farm stocks totaled 23.4 million bushels, up 14 percent from a year ago. The December 2017 – February 2018 indicated disappearance of 6.86 million bushels is 66 percent below the same period a year earlier.

Spring is right around the corner.  We have oats and grass seed ready to go.  Give us a call if you need anything!

Last weigh check of the year yesterday. Thanks Doug Pfantz! Had a great year checking corn, calibrating monitors, and riding along in combines! Looking forward to it all again in 2017.

In a year where we thought we had lower than normal disease pressure it looks like fungicide application is going to pay again. This was applied with a ground rig right after tassel.

The seed tender is hooked up and ready to calibrate yield monitors and weigh plots.  Please give me a call when you need this done.  Everyone have a safe harvest!

Continue to scout for Northern Corn Leaf Blight.  This disease continues to spread and often times warrants an application of fungicide.  Please call with any questions.