STAT Communications Ag Market News

Record Low Winter Wheat Area

WASHINGTON - Jun 30/20 - SNS --The 2020 winter wheat planted area is estimated at 30.6 million acres, down 2% from last year and down 1% from the previous forecast, according to the USDA's seeded area estimate for 2020.

This represents the second lowest planted acreage on record for the United States. Of the total acreage, about 21.5 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 5.63 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.42 million acres are White Winter. Record low planted acreage is estimated in Nebraska and Utah.

Area harvested for grain is forecast at 23.4 million acres, down 3% from the previous forecast and down 4% from last year. This represents the lowest harvested acreage on record for the United States.

Harvested acres are down from last year across the central Great Plains, the primary wheat-producing area, due to the reduction in planted acreage. However, across much of the soft red wheat producing area, harvested acres are up from the previous year due to an increase in planted acres. Record low harvested area is expected in California.

As of June 21, harvest was 29% complete, 3 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average pace. Harvest in Kansas, the leading winter wheat-producing State, was 25% complete at that time, 1 percentage point ahead of the 5-year average pace.

Winter Wheat Area Planted and Harvested - States and United States: 2019 and 2020
[Includes area planted in preceding fall]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 :           Area planted            :          Area harvested
      State      :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                 :      2019       :      2020       :      2019       :     2020 1/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 :                              1,000 acres
                 :
Alabama .........:        130               140                85                90
Arkansas ........:        110               140                50                75
California ......:        390               350               100                90
Colorado ........:      2,150             1,900             2,000             1,550
Delaware ........:         60                55                50                44
Georgia .........:        150               190                50                60
Idaho ...........:        730               720               680               670
Illinois ........:        650               570               550               500
Indiana .........:        330               360               260               310
Kansas ..........:      6,900             6,700             6,500             6,400
                 :
Kentucky ........:        460               530               330               375
Maryland ........:        345               345               165               190
Michigan ........:        540               530               480               480
Mississippi .....:         45                40                21                20
Missouri ........:        550               480               390               390
Montana .........:      2,000             1,550             1,900             1,450
Nebraska ........:      1,070               920               970               850
New Jersey ......:         19                25                14                20
New Mexico ......:        360               330               105               100
New York ........:         90               155                66               125
                 :
North Carolina ..:        290               460               225               380
North Dakota ....:         85                40                70                35
Ohio ............:        500               530               385               480
Oklahoma ........:      4,200             4,300             2,750             2,700
Oregon ..........:        740               750               730               730
Pennsylvania ....:        180               230               140               165
South Carolina ..:         70               110                45                95
South Dakota ....:        860               650               770               580
Tennessee .......:        280               310               215               230
Texas ...........:      4,500             4,800             2,050             2,100
                 :
Utah ............:        125               120               116               115
Virginia ........:        180               235               105               165
Washington ......:      1,750             1,700             1,700             1,650
Wisconsin .......:        195               160               150               120
Wyoming .........:        125               125               110               105
                 :
United States ...:     31,159            30,550            24,327            23,439
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Forecasted.

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