Winter Wheat Area Still Down from 2013

WASHINGTON - Jun 30/14 - SNS -- The 2014 winter wheat planted area is estimated at 42.3 million acres, up less than 1% from the previous estimate but down 2% from last year, according to the USDA's seeded area report for 2014.

States with notable acreage increases from the previous estimate were Idaho and South Dakota. Of the total acreage, about 30.4 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 8.50 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.41 million acres are White Winter. Record high acreage was planted in North Dakota.

Area harvested for grain is forecast at 32.4 million acres, down slightly from the previous forecast but up slightly from last year. Harvested acres are up significantly from last year in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions. Conversely, decreases from last year are expected throughout the Soft Red Winter growing region due to reduced planted acres. If realized, harvested acres will be a record low in California.

The Southern Great Plains (Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas) harvested area is forecasted at 13.6 million acres, down 3% from last year and the second lowest harvested area since 1957. The harvested to planted ratio in Oklahoma is forecasted at 57%, the second lowest ratio on record, only behind 1983.