Farmers in the United States planted a little more than 96 million acres of corn in 2012, the most farmland in corn production since 1937.
    
The federal government's agricultural department says corn acreage planted this season was up 5% from a year ago, marking gains annually over the past four years.
    
The USDA said favorable field conditions across much of the country's major corn-producing region gave farmers a head start in 2012 planting.  Corn planting nationwide was nearly completed by May 20th, the fastest corn planting pace on record, the government reported.
    
Soybean growers planted 76 million acres nationwide, up 1%, the 3rd highest soybean acreage on record, according to the USDA.  Weather conditions played a role in soybean farmers having 94 percent of crops planted by June 3rd, well ahead of the pace set in 2011.