Another big year projected for corn GARDEN CITY, KAN. (hppr) - Amid record prices and worldwide supply concerns, corn growers in the United States intend to plant 92.2 million acres of corn, up 5 percent from last year and the second highest total since 1944.

Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska are each looking at corn acreage increases of more than 250,000.

The news comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual Prospective Plantings report, which was released March 31. Results of the federal survey of farmers, taken in early March, provides national planting acreage estimates for more than 20 crops.

The increase in corn acreage still leaves the market uncertain, said Dan O'Brien, an agriculture economist with Kansas State Extension.

"It surely doesn't delay the fears of us being in a tight stock situation a year from now if we would have anything short of trend-line, very good corn yields here in the U.S.," O'Brien said.

Despite a 1 percent decrease, the 76.6 million acres projected for soybeans would still be the third highest on record. Bucking the trend, Missouri will plant 150,000 more acres, just one of 12 states to see more soybeans, the report said.

Kansas' 8.8 million wheat acres are the second most acres intended for the crop in 2011, trailing only North Dakota.

All cotton states, including Kansas and Missouri, contributed to a 15 percent acreage increase.

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