Kansas corn and sorghum producers will plant a combined 7.6 million acres of feedgrains this year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Prospective Plantings report. Kansas corn farmers are expected to plant 5.1 million acres of corn, up five percent from 2010 and the largest area planted since 1936. Kansas sorghum farmers are expected to plant 2.5 million acres, up six percent from last year. Kansas will plant over 44 percent of the nation’s sorghumcrop. Jere White, executive director of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association said growers are committed to meeting the needs of their customers.
“I think it is important to look at the corn and sorghum numbers both individually and together as feed grains. Both are used to satisfy the needs of the livestock and ethanol industries,” White said. “Both crops are showing healthy increases planting expectations. Between the two crops, Kansas feedgrains are pegged to pick up 400,000 acres since last year. That’s impressive.”
At 581 million bushels, the 2010 corn crop was the second largest in history, behind the record-setting 2009 crop. Combined corn and sorghum production in 2010 was 752.3 million bushels.
