Reuters’ 2026 analyst poll put expected U.S. corn plantings at 94.9 million acres and soybean plantings at 84.9 million acres. Those are poll averages—not official USDA estimates or confirmed final acreage. USDA’s latest 2026 planted-acreage report, released June 30, put corn at 95.3 million acres and soybeans at 85.4 million.
What the 94.9 million and 84.9 million figures mean
The acreage figures in the headline are Reuters poll averages of analyst expectations for the 2026/27 U.S. crop year. “Seen at” signals a forecast, not a report of what farmers ultimately planted. Reuters said its corn average was below USDA’s corn acreage forecast available at the time, while the soybean average was above USDA’s estimate. The Reuters-hosted page does not provide a publication date in the available page extract, so no precise date is assigned here. Reuters report hosted by TradingView.
How the poll compares with USDA acreage figures
USDA figures refer to different measures and releases. The March estimate captured what producers intended to plant; the June estimate was a later survey-based estimate of what they had planted. The Reuters figures are analysts’ poll averages for 2026/27. These differences in source, method and reference period matter when comparing the numbers.
| Source and release | Measure and period | Corn | Soybeans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reuters analyst poll; date not shown in available extract | Analyst expectations for 2026/27 | 94.9 million acres | 84.9 million acres |
| USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, March 31, 2026 | Producer planting intentions for 2026 | 95.3 million acres | 84.7 million acres |
| USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, June 30, 2026 | Planted-acreage estimate for 2026 | 95.3 million acres | 85.4 million acres |
| USDA Economic Research Service, April 21, 2026 | Long-term baseline projection for 2026/27 | 95.0 million acres | 85.0 million acres |
What USDA reported in March and June
March planting intentions
USDA’s March 31, 2026 Prospective Plantings report estimated that farmers intended to plant 95.3 million acres of corn and 84.7 million acres of soybeans in 2026. NASS based those estimates on a survey of nearly 74,000 farm operators conducted during the first two weeks of March. They were intentions at the time of the survey, not final planted acreage. USDA NASS, March 31, 2026.
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June planted-acreage estimates
In its June 30, 2026 Acreage report, NASS estimated that farmers had planted 95.3 million acres of corn and 85.4 million acres of soybeans in 2026. The agency surveyed approximately 90,300 farm operators during the first two weeks of June about what they had actually planted. This is the later official acreage estimate in the figures discussed here; it is for 2026, while the Reuters poll is labeled 2026/27. USDA NASS, June 30, 2026.
Why a separate USDA baseline shows different numbers
USDA’s Economic Research Service summarized long-term baseline projections of 95.0 million corn acres and 85.0 million soybean acres for 2026/27. These are projections, not the March survey of producer intentions or the June survey-based acreage estimates. ERS noted that more recent survey-based estimates were available in the March Prospective Plantings report. USDA ERS, “U.S. major field crop acreage projected to decline,” April 21, 2026.
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How to read acreage headlines
- Check who produced the number. Reuters’ poll average, USDA NASS survey estimates and USDA ERS baseline projections are not interchangeable.
- Check what is being measured. Analyst expectations, farmer planting intentions and estimated planted acres describe different stages or methods.
- Keep the crop year attached. The Reuters headline uses 2026/27; the NASS reports give 2026 intentions and planted acreage.
- Use the release date and method. The March and June NASS estimates came from surveys at different points in the season, so the June report is a later measure of planting.
The acreage figures alone do not establish why farmers chose particular crops, how acreage is distributed by state, or what the numbers mean for farm profitability.
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