Minnesota Farmers Expect to Plant Record Soybean Acreage

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota farmers plan to plant a record amount of soybeans this spring, as well as more corn than last year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Minnesota soybean producers expect to plant 7.5 million acres of soybeans, compared with 7.35 million acres last year.  That's in line with national projections for record high soybean acreage this year.

Tuesday's report also says Minnesota farmers plan to plant 8.5 million acres of corn, up 300,000 acres from 2014. That bucks the national trend of fewer corn acres due to lower expected prices and profits. Wisconsin is the only other Corn Belt state expected to plant more corn acres than last year.

Minnesota farmers also plan to plant slightly more wheat, slightly fewer sugarbeets, and a record low 1.75 million acres of hay.