The past year’s run-up in fertilizer and input prices will have major consequences for 2022 acreage allocations and will have the most significant impact on growers’ planting decisions since 2008-2009, according to the January 2022 Farm Futures survey.
Some 93% of farmer respondents in the survey expect high input costs to slash 2022 profits compared to last year. The survey, conducted via email questionnaire during December 3-20, 2021, found that high input costs will drive U.S. growers to plant fewer corn acres in 2022 in favor of other crops with less expensive production costs.
After totaling the responses from 613 growers, Farm Futures projects 2022 corn acreage at 90.4 million acres in 2022 and soybean acreage at 92.4 million acres. It will be only the second time in U.S. history more soybeans than corn will be planted to the tune of 1.2 million acres.
