Washington, 31 March 2010

US farmers are set to plant even more land to corn and soybeans than last year, enough to produce potentially record-setting crops, a pivotal government survey is expected to show on Wednesday. The widely anticipated planting intentions report, set for release at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT), is expected to confirm trade estimates that this year's corn planting will be the second-largest since 1945 and that soybeans will surpass 2009's peak, figures that may weigh on Chicago Board of Trade futures.

With major grain prices trading in a range over the past two months and input costs contained, traders will watch closely for any surprises in the Agriculture Department's survey, the first official gauge of what farmers will put in the ground this spring.

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