U.S. farmers will plant fewer acres of corn in 2014 and more acres of cotton and soybeans, according to USDAΆs March 31 Prospective Plantings report. The acreage estimates are based on surveys of 84,000 farmers during the first two weeks of March.

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2014 is estimated at 91.7 million acres, down 4 percent from last year. If realized, this will represent the lowest planted acreage in the United States since 2010; however, this will represent the fifth largest corn acreage in the United States since 1944.

In the Mid-South, Arkansas producers expect to plant 600,000 acres of corn, down 18 percent from 2013; Louisiana producers say they will plant 480,000 acres to corn, down 29 percent; Mississippi is expected to plant 580,000 acres, a decrease of 33 percent, while Tennessee producers expect to plant 830,000 acres, a decline of 7 percent.

Soybean planted area for 2014 is estimated at a record high 81.5 million acres, up 6 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage intentions are up or unchanged across all states with the exception of Missouri and Oklahoma.

All Mid-South states are expected in increase soybean acres, according to USDA, from 3 percent in Tennessee and Arkansas to 21 percent in Louisiana.

All cotton planted area for 2014 is expected to total 11.1 million acres, 7 percent above last year. The figure is less than recent trade estimates. Upland area is expected to total 10.9 million acres, up 7 percent from 2013. American Pima area is expected to total 158,000 acres, down 21 percent from 2013.

All Mid-South states expect to plant more cotton in 2014. Acreage estimates are 340,000 acres for Arkansas, up 10 percent; 180,000 acres for Louisiana, up 30 percent, 380,000 acres for Mississippi, up 31 percent, 280,000 acres for Tennessee, up 12 percent and 260,000 acres for Missouri, up 2 percent.

All U.S. rice acres are projected at 2.877 million acres up 16 percent over 2013. Arkansas is expected to plant 1.35 million acres of rice in 2014, up 41 percent from 2013. The state is also expected to plant 170,000 acres of medium grain rice, an increase of 42 percent over 2013.

Louisiana will increase its medium grain acres by 18 percent, and maintain long grain acres at around 395,000 acres. Mississippi will increase rice acres by 36 percent, to 170,000 acres, while MissouriΆs acreage is expected to rise to 175,000 acres, an increase of 11 percent. Texas is expected to decrease rice acres to 132,000 acres, a decline of 7 percent, while California will decrease its acres of mostly medium grain rice to 420,000 acres, a decrease of 17 percent.

Sorghum acres are estimated at 6.7 million acres, down 17 percent, while peanut acres are estimated at 1.376 million acres, up 29 percent from 2013.

All wheat planted area for 2014 is estimated at 55.8 million acres, down 1 percent from 2013. The 2014 winter wheat planted area, at 42 million acres, is down 3 percent from last year but up slightly from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 30.2 million acres are hard red winter, 8.43 million acres are soft red winter, and 3.35 million acres are white winter. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2014 is expected to total 12 million acres, up 4 percent from 2013. Of this total, about 11.3 million acres are hard red spring wheat. The intended durum planted area for 2014 is estimated at 1.80 million acres, up 22 percent from the previous year.