U.S. CONSERVATION SIGNUP SEEN 10 TO 12 MLN ACRES

  Grain traders and analysts look for a
  10 to 12 mln acre sign-up in the USDA's conservation reserve
  program, scheduled to be announced after 1400 CST today.
      The USDA probably will accept about 80 to 90 pct of the
  acres submitted, they said.
      Total enrollment in the first three years of the program is
  only 8.9 mln acres, so the sharp increase expected this year
  has underpinned new crop corn futures all week.
      However, some analysts said a 10 to 12 mln acre sign-up may
  end up being negative to new crop corn prices, citing trade
  talk earlier this year that 14 to 15 mln acres may be submitted
  by farmers. Also, acres set-aside under the conservation
  program are by definition poor yielding, so the impact on total
  corn production will be minimal, they added.
  

