he new USDA forecasts for the 2017 crops may not have projected the negative environment many were fearing. But the numbers leave a lot of unanswered questions, especially regarding acreage.

Even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected the expected shift into soybeans this year, it’s the total acreage package that leaves us a little uneasy. The USDA doesn’t release a total acreage number until it releases the Prospective...