WASHINGTON, DC, US — The Agricultural Statistics Board of the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said it will update planted and harvested acreage estimates for corn, soybeans, sorghum and sugar beets in its September Crop Production report, a month earlier than usual.

The NASS review before the September report will include survey and satellite-based data and the latest information from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency for planted and harvested acreage for corn, soybeans, sorghum, sugar beets, rice, peanuts and cotton. Acreage updates in the September report typically are made only for rice, peanuts and cotton with updates for corn, soybeans, sorghum, sugar beets, canola, dry edible beans and sunflowers made in October. Corn, soybean, sorghum and sugar beet acreage would again be updated in October even if updates are made in September, the USDA said.

“If the data review justifies any changes, NASS will publish planted and harvested acreage estimates in the Sept. 10 report,” the USDA said. 

Market analysts said the change may indicate that the USDA has seen updated acreage information that the general public has not seen, possibly including a modest increase in corn acres and a modest decrease in soybean acres. The trade is sensitive to any acreage swings this year with prices of most commodities well above year-ago levels and with added market uncertainty due to COVID-19, transportation and weather issues.