The U.S.D.A. spring planting survey shows farmers across the country intend to plant a little more corn and slightly less soybeans in the upcoming growing season. Iowa goes slightly against that trend. The state was the top corn producer in the nation last year and estimates show farmers will plant the same 14.2 million acres in corn planted last year.

Iowa soybean acres are expected to increase by one-percent to 9.4 million acres. Bob Bowman farms near Dewitt and says his corn and bean acres are determined by a set rotation — so the report has more of an impact on how he moves the crop later on.

“I look at what the intentions are and what the average trade guess is and you kind of judge from that whether it’s up or down, and according to that than I’ll either change my marketing plan. I’m a forward marketer, and that helps give me some targets,” Bowman says. Bowman says it’s too early to make a lot of decisions based on the numbers.

“I take them with a grain of salt,” Bowman says. “It’s worthwhile because it’s a group guess…but they give an indication and they can be right or they can be wrong. It’s just another tool in our toolbox.” Kevin Rempp of Montezuma agrees.

“It’s interesting to see, but until we get through spring weather, that could change greatly,” Rempp says. Rempp says the report is simply a forecast of what might happen. “It’s gonna all get worked through the system, I mean this is just planning intentions,” Rempp says. “Until it all done and said and in the ground — then we’ll see what happens.”

Roger Zylstra of Linville says he is like the others and sets the amount of corn and beans he plants based on a rotation from year-to-year. But he does read the report.

“It is a good indication of what some of the rest of the industry is doing. I do try to make some marketing plans based on what I think might come out in this report,” Zylstra says. Overall, the report says 97.3 million acres will be planted to corn this year compared to 97.2 million last year. Bean acreage is projected at 77.1 million acres, compared to 77.2 million in 2012.