Virginia farmers increasing soybean acreage in 2024, following national trend

Released: March 28, 2024

Virginia March 1 Planting Intentions

Farmers in Virginia intend to plant 470,000 acres of corn, 25,000 lower than 2023. U.S. corn growers intend to plant 90.0 million acres for all purposes in 2024, down 5 percent from last year.

Soybean acreage in Virginia is expected to total 630,000 acres, up 50,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. soybean planted area for 2024 is estimated at 86.5 million acres, up 3 percent from last year.

Virginia farmers appear to be following a national trend this spring,

planting fewer acres to corn and more acres to soybeans.

Upland cotton acreage to be planted in Virginia is forecast at 80,000, down 1,000 acres from 2023. The U.S. total upland cotton acreage is estimated at 10.5 million acres, up 4 percent from the previous year.

Peanut acreage in Virginia is expected to total 24,000 acres, down 5,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. peanut planted area for 2024 is estimated at 1.65 million acres, up slightly from last year.

Flue-cured tobacco growers in Virginia intend to set 13,000 acres, up 200 acres from 2023. For flue-cured producing states, growers intend to set 127,000 acres, 8 percent below last year.

Barley seeded by Virginia farmers in the fall of 2023 totaled 25,000 acres, down 5,000 acres from previous year. U.S. seeded acreage was 2.57 million acres, down 17 percent from 2023.

Winter wheat seeded by Virginia farmers in the fall of 2023 totaled 155,000 acres, down 45,000 acres from the previous year. Seeded acreage for the nation was 34.1 million acres, down 7 percent from 2022.

Farmers in Virginia intend to harvest 1.12 million acres of all hay, down 35,000 from 2023. U.S. farmers intend on harvesting 51.6 million acres of hay in 2024, down 2 percent from last year.