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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Four days before USDA released its first official survey-based estimates of 2025 planting intentions, Farmers Business Network (FBN) signaled that U.S. farmers expected to plant more corn and fewer soybean and wheat acres. FBN’s March 27, 2025, estimates were a private member-survey snapshot—not final planted acreage or the USDA report.
What FBN’s survey signaled for 2025
FBN estimated 95.5 million U.S. acres of corn for 2025, 4.9 million more than in 2024. It identified Iowa and Kansas as the states with the largest estimated increases in corn acreage. Its estimate for soybeans was 83.5 million acres, about 3.6 million below 2024, with the largest projected reductions in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. FBN put all-wheat acreage at 46.3 million acres, including 34.1 million acres of winter wheat. Agriculture.com’s March 27 report published the survey findings.
FBN also said the shift from soybeans toward corn could grow if planting conditions allowed farmers to plant corn quickly. Its contemporaneous discussion included uncertainty about potential trade costs related to fees on Chinese ships and contracting conditions. Those were factors discussed at the time, not confirmed outcomes or current forecasts.
How FBN’s numbers compared with USDA’s March estimates
On March 31, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) published its Prospective Plantings estimates. The figures below compare two estimates of intentions made from separate surveys at different times; neither table entry represents final planted area.
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| Crop | FBN estimate, reported March 27 | USDA estimate, March 31 | What the comparison shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | 95.5 million acres; 4.9 million above 2024, according to FBN’s account. | 95.3 million acres; up 4.73 million acres, or 5%, from 2024, according to USDA. | USDA was 0.2 million acres below FBN’s estimate. |
| Soybeans | 83.5 million acres; about 3.6 million below 2024, according to FBN’s account. | 83.5 million acres; down 4% from 2024, according to USDA. | The estimates matched. |
| All wheat | 46.3 million acres, including 34.1 million acres of winter wheat, according to FBN’s account. | 45.4 million acres; down 2% from 2024, according to USDA. | USDA was 0.9 million acres below FBN’s estimate. |
USDA described its March Prospective Plantings report as the first official, survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2025 planting intentions. The comparison shows close agreement on corn and an identical soybean estimate, while USDA’s wheat estimate was lower. It does not, by itself, establish which survey was more accurate or validate either source’s estimates across other crops or years. USDA’s published figures and year-over-year comparisons are in its March 2025 Prospective Plantings report.
Who took part in each survey
FBN’s member survey
According to Agriculture.com, FBN’s electronic survey was open to all U.S. FBN members from February 11 through March 18, 2025. Nearly 1,000 farmers representing 2 million acres participated. Respondents provided postal codes, 2024 planted acreage and intended 2025 acreage for key crops. FBN removed incomplete or inconsistent responses, excluded personally identifying and farm-related information from the published results, and had its crop marketing advisory analysts develop the acreage estimates. These details describe the stated scope and process; they do not establish statistical precision or how representative the results were of all U.S. farmers.
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USDA’s national survey
NASS said its March estimates drew on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March among a sample of nearly 74,000 farm operators across the country. USDA’s March 31, 2025, announcement identifies the report as the first official survey-based estimate of planting intentions. The sources describe different survey populations and sample sizes; those facts alone do not show that one survey was inherently more accurate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret the “corn is king” signal
FBN’s headline described what its members’ responses suggested before USDA’s release: more intended corn acres and fewer soybean acres than in 2024. For a reader following farm markets or household finances tied to agriculture, the key distinction is timing and status. FBN published a private survey estimate on March 27; USDA followed on March 31 with official survey-based intentions. Neither is a final measurement of planted acreage. A planting-intentions report captures plans at the time of surveying, while a later planted-area estimate is a separate measurement.
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FBN’s director of U.S. market advisory and brokerage, Cody Bills, said the survey offered member insights for farmers managing risk in a difficult pricing environment. Agriculture.com published his statement: “With the tremendous uncertainty in the farm economy today, we’re proud to provide insights like these back to our farmer members who are trying to manage risk in a difficult pricing environment,”
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