Key Takeaways:

Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers’ minds and, therefore, planting intentions. Higher prices for wheat during the key planting decision period positively influenced 2027 wheat acreage expectations, though dry weather may subsequently pare back some planting efforts. Winter wheat area is forecast to rise 2.2 percent for the 2027/28 marketing year to 31.88 million acres, while spring wheat area is set to decline modestly as producers switch to other crops following the recent plun...