SD farmers plant largest soybean crop on record; corn acres fall 5 percent over the year

South Dakota farmers planted a record soybean crop this year, mirroring a national trend.

The Agriculture Department estimates 4.95 million soybean acres in the state, up 8 percent from last year. Nationally, soybean acreage is up 11 percent over the year to a record 84.8 million acres.

The increase came at the expense of corn. Corn acres in South Dakota are down 5 percent to 5.9 million. Nationally, they are down 4 percent to 91.6 million.