U.S. Barley Seedings Down 4%
WASHINGTON - Jun 28/13 - SNS -- American producers seeded 3.48 million acres of barley for the 2013 crop year, down 4% from the previous year, according to the USDA seeded area estimates for 2013.
This represents the fourth-lowest seeded area on record. Harvested area, forecast at 3.08 million acres, is down 5% from 2012.
During April and throughout May, barley producers in the Pacific Northwest seeded this year's crop ahead of the normal pace; however, above average temperatures and dry conditions triggered an earlier than normal start to irrigation in some areas. Conversely, cool, wet weather in Minnesota and North Dakota delayed the start of seeding until early-May. Producers in the northern Great Plains and Great Lakes regions maximized small windows of favorable weather during mid-May, but overall progress lagged behind normal throughout the month. By June 9, seeding was complete in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. In North Dakota, storms continually dumped moisture on saturated fields, severely limiting fieldwork and causing producers to abandon some of their intended acreage.
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