Mississippi State University Extension Service's Nathan Gregory wrote that Mississippi farmers are planning to plant fewer acres of corn, rice and cotton in 2026, while soybean acreage is expected to rise significantly, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and analysis by Mississippi State University experts.
The USDA’s Prospective Plantings report shows corn acreage in Mississippi is projected to drop 31% to about 630,000 acres, rice is expected to fall 51% to 80,000 acres, and cotton acres are forecast to decline 9% to roughly 300,000 acres. Meanwhile, soybean acreage is set to increase 27% to 2.3 million acres.
Agricultural economist Will Maples of Mississippi State University noted that while some markets showed modest improvement this winter, tight margins and rising input costs continue to pressure planting decisions. “We have seen a decent rally in soybean and cotton prices this winter. Margins are still expected to be tight, but things are slightly better,” Maples said.
Input costs, especially for fertilizer and fuel, remain a major concern. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have added volatility to energy markets, impacting fertilizer prices globally. Prices for widely used fertilizers like urea and anhydrous ammonia saw sharp increases in March.
MSU Extension agricultural economist Steve Martin explained that higher fuel costs contribute to rising fertilizer prices, which disproportionately affect input-intensive crops like corn. “We had such an early start on corn planting and might have had a lot more acreage if not for the rise in fertilizer prices,” Martin said.
The report also forecasts a 40% drop in peanut acreage and an 11% decline in hay harvest acres, while winter wheat acreage is expected to rise 15%.
