WMR-2019 Winter Wheat Acres Second Lowest on Record
By: Jim Peterson
Posted: Mar 25 2019
U.S. producers planted their second lowest level of winter wheat acres on record, based on the results of the USDA survey released on February 8th. It is estimated that just 31.3 million acres were planted, down 4 percent 2018, and the lowest since 1909. Low prices and significant weather challenges in October led to the reduced plantings. Hard red winter wheat fell to 22.2 million acres, down 3 percent from the previous year. Record low acres were planted in Nebraska, and acres fell by 6 percent in Kansas and 5 percent in Oklahoma. In contrast acres increased by 9 percent in Montana.
Soft red winter wheat acres fell by 7 percent to just 5.7 million. Nearly all of the major production states reported decreased plantings. Soft white winter acres fell by 3 percent to 3.4 million. Washington held steady on acres, with minor declines in Idaho, and the most notable declines in Oregon.
In North Dakota, winter wheat acres were estimated at 110,000 which is a 29 percent increase from the fall of 2017 and more than 50 percent from 2016. Acres are still well below the recent high of 870,000 reported in the fall of 2013, which was driven by a significant level of prevent plant acres that spring.