By Marlee Jackson
(334) 613-4219

Alabama farmers could buck a national trend this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Prospective Planting Report released March 31.

Corn acres in the Yellowhammer State are expected to skyrocket 17% from 2025, reaching 410,000 acres. This contrasts a projected 3% dip in corn acres nationwide.

Alabama Farmers Federation's Carla Hornady cautioned farmers and industry leaders to read the report with a grain of salt. USDA conducted the annual survey before recent global conflicts pressured energy prices, fertilizer supply and trade agreements, she added.

"Even without global conflicts, there's always a chance farmers change their intentions on what to plant," said Hornady, who works with row crop farmers as a commodity director. "On the other hand, many farmers in Alabama stick to a strong rotation or to the plan they penciled out months ago."

She added, "We're already seeing corn go into the ground in many parts of the state, so our most pressing issue is the need for timely rains."

Cotton acres are expected to flatline at 290,000 acres, while peanuts could tick up slightly by 3% to 200,000 acres. Soybeans could trend downward by 2% to 290,000 acres. Winter wheat, planted last fall, is down around 9% to just 100,000 acres.