A Look at Planted Acres of Key Commodities in the United States

More American farmers may have had shrinking profit margins on their minds as they planted their 2026 crops. Lower crop prices and higher production costs could have come into play as some producers chose to shift acres away from crops like corn and wheat and focus more on commodities that could be more cost-effective in the near-term like soybeans and cotton.

According to the new  Acreage report  from the National Agricultural Statistics Services released on June 30, the planted acres of several crops changed from 2025 to 2026:

• Soybeans: +5%

• Cotton: +6%

• Corn: -3%

• Wheat: -6%

• Winter Wheat: -5%

• Durum: -16%

• Rice: -28%

Increased soybean acres planted

Crop rotation and expanded soybean crush capacity could both be part of the reasons for the increase in soybean planted acres.

The additional soybean planted acres is in line with an early year forecast from CoBank -- a Denver, Colorado-based company that specializes in financing for rural farmers and ranchers – which expected a greater emphasis on soybeans in 2026.

CoBank predicted that the focus on soybeans would diminish some planting plans for other commodities. “In the South, soybeans will pull acres from cotton, rice and corn while wheat and corn in the Midwest and Central Plains will lose acres to soybeans,” the release stated.

Rice planted acres declined in 2026

Planted area for cotton’s increase could be a result of increased demand. Meanwhile, rice had the largest year-to-year decline of the aforementioned seven crops. Weather issues and reduced demand likely contributed to the decision to reduce planting in 2026.

“U.S. soybean planted area is seen rising 5.9% YoY to 86.0 million acres as soybeans pull acres from multiple crops,” CoBank’s release in February stated. “Soybean prices have performed comparatively better than most crops on expectations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce a higher renewable volume obligation and that China will continue purchasing soybeans.”

EPA’s new renewable fuels standards

Three months later, the EPA announced its highest levels for total renewable fuel volumes as it addressed total renewable fuel, advanced biofuel, cellulosic biofuel, and biomass-based diesel.

Dr. Faith Parum, economist for the American Farm Bureau Foundation, offered this perspective about the EPA’s guidelines:

“The proposed rule included provisions aimed at limiting the role of imported fuels and feedstocks in generating Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), a change intended to better align the program with domestic production and support U.S.-grown commodities.”

Parum added, “However, the final rule did not adopt the import RIN reduction. Instead EPA intends to establish import RIN reduction provisions that will take effect beginning in the 2028 compliance year or shortly thereafter. Additionally, the rule includes a partial waiver of the 2025 cellulosic biofuel requirement due to lower-than-expected production and finalizes changes to how small refinery exemptions are accounted for, redistributing previously exempted volumes into future obligations to maintain overall demand.”

EPA lawsuits

The EPA’s higher levels are now the subject of litigation.  Last month, The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) filed a lawsuit that challenged the 2026-2027 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes.

A statement from AFPM President and CEO Chet Thompson criticized what his organization considers additional costs for refiners and maintained that the new blending requirements were illegal.

“The cost of complying with the RFS recently hit a new all-time high, exceeding 35-cents per gallon for the first time. This is the inevitable consequence of EPA finalizing an unlawful, impracticable regulation, which AFPM is formally challenging on behalf of our members — the refineries that supply gasoline and diesel fuel to the United States market — and consumers of these fuels around the country,” Thompson stated.

This week, supporters of the new EPA requirements filed their own suit. The National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) filed a motion on Tuesday to intervene in support of the EPA.

NOPA President & CEO Devin Mogler said the EPA has given certainty to America’s farmers, oilseed processors, biomass-based diesel producers, and rural America.

“The Trump Administration has taken important steps to get the RFS back on track and restore certainty to the marketplace,” Mogler’s statement read.

“The final rule advances the shared goals of supporting American farmers, strengthening U.S. manufacturing, and advancing American energy dominance,” the statement continued.

“Groundless legal challenges serve only to undermine farmers and rural communities while sowing doubt in a market that depends on long-term investment. NOPA is proud to stand with the Administration to defend this rule and ensure the RFS continues to deliver on its two-decade track record for farmers and consumers.”

RELATED: This conversation two years ago with American Farmland Owner from a renewable fuels industry executive explained what he felt needed to happen to support farmers and producers.