30/3/07 (Soyatech.com)  National Agricultural Statistics Service -- USDA, Washington, D.C. - Corn growers intend to plant 90.5 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2007, up 15 percent from 2006 and 11 percent higher than 2005.  If realized this would be the highest acreage since 1944, when 95.5 million acres were planted for all purposes. Expected acreage is up in nearly all States as high corn prices are encouraging farmers to plant more acres to corn.  The increase in intended corn acres is partially offset by lower expected acres of soybeans in the Corn Belt and Great Plains and fewer expected acres of cotton and rice in the Delta and Southeast.  Illinois farmers intend to plant a record high 12.9 million acres of corn this spring, up 1.60 million acres from last year.  North Dakota and Minnesota growers also expect to plant record high corn acres, up 910,000 and 600,000 acres, respectively.

Soybean producers intend to plant 67.1 million acres in 2007, down 11 percent from last year.  If realized, this will be the lowest planted area since 1996.  Acreage decreases are expected in all growing areas, except in New York and the Southeast.  Large decreases in soybean acreage are expected across the Corn Belt, with the largest decline expected in Illinois, down 1.40 million acres from 2006.  However, area planted to soybeans is expected to increase in the Southeast, with Georgia expecting the largest increase from last year at 95,000 acres.  Planted acreage in New York is expected to be the largest on record at 210,000 acres.

All wheat planted area is estimated at 60.3 million acres, up 5 percent from 2006.  The 2007 winter wheat planted area, at 44.5 million acres, is 10 percent above last year and up 1 percent from the previous estimate.  Of this total, about 31.9 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 8.66 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.92 million acres are White Winter.  Area planted to other spring wheat for 2007 is expected to total 13.8 million acres, down 7 percent from 2006.  Of this total, about 13.3 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat.  The intended Durum planted area for 2007 is 1.99 million acres, up 6 percent from the previous year.

All cotton plantings for 2007 are expected to total 12.1 million acres, 20 percent below last year. Upland acreage is expected to total 11.9 million, down 21 percent from last year and the lowest since 1989.  Growers intend to decrease planted area in all States with the largest acreage declines in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas.  American-Pima cotton growers intend to decrease their plantings by 10 percent from 2006, to 292,000 acres.  California producers expect to plant 250,000 acres, down 9 percent from last year's record high.