Farmers will cut back a bit on the amount of corn they plant this spring, but corn production will remain at historic highs as demand keeps corn prices high.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Monday predicted farmers will plant 86 million acres of corn, down 8 percent from 2007, when the amount of corn planted was the highest since World War II.

In Minnesota, corn acres are expected to drop a bit more — about 10 percent — to 7.6 million acres, said Mark Hamerlinck, with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

“It’s not a big surprise. It’s about what we expected to hear,” Hamerlinck said.

While the government’s predictions are based on surveys of farmers’ intentions, Hamerlinck said those intentions can change quickly. If corn prices were to jump significantly soon, more farmers might go back to planting more corn.

“It’s important to note these are intentions. Nothing is in the ground. A lot of things can happen, including how the weather is this spring,” he said.

For complete story, see the Tuesday, April 1, 2008, print edition of The Free Press or sign onto our e-edition.

Click here to access Free Press e-edition