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USDA slightly raises corn plantings to 95.34 million acres but tighter stocks mute bearish impact; soybean acreage boost meets expectations. Bruce Blythe,Senior Editor, Commodities,Farm Futures. Grain futures spiked higher and sustained gains after USDA’s highly anticipated acreage and quarterly grain stocks reports threw a mix of bullish and bearish numbers at the market, with corn climbing after an unexpected increase in plantings was muted by tighter-than-anticipated supplies. USDA raised its 2026 U.S. corn plantings estimate to 95.343 million acres, up about 5,000 acres from its March prospective plantings forecast and contrary to expectations for a reduction of about 346,000 acres. Plantings are down over 3.4 million acres, or 3.5%, from 98.8 million acres in 2025. USDA’s updated bean acreage is up 5.1% from the 81.215 million acres seeded in 2025, a six-year low. Combined corn and soybean plantings rose 670,000 acres, or 0.4%, from March to a record 180.7 million acres.