Lentil Crop Sank 42%

WASHINGTON - Jan 12/18 - SNS -- U.S. lentil production ended up at 7.48 million cwt (100 pound units) or 339,381 metric tons (MT) in 2017, down 42% from the previous year's record high level, according to the USDA's final crop estimates.

Planted area, at 1.10 million acres, was up 18% from a year earlier, while harvested acreage, at 1.02 million acres, was up 13% from 2016. Planted and harvested area were at record highs in Montana and the United States.

Average yield was 732 pounds per acre, down 682 pounds from 2016 and the lowest since records began in 1986. Yields were down from a year earlier in all four program States: Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington.

In Montana, harvest began in mid-July with 95% harvested by August 20. Drought-like conditions persisted throughout much of the growing season with 97% of the topsoil moisture rated very short to short as of September 3. Yield was at the lowest level since 2006. In North Dakota, harvest began in early August and was 66% complete by September 3. As with Montana, a severe drought negatively impacted the crop with average yield at the lowest level since records began in 1998.

Lentil Area Planted and Harvested, Yield, and Production - States and
United States: 2015-2017
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              :           Area planted           :          Area harvested
     State    :---------------------------------------------------------------------
              :   2015    :   2016   :   2017    :   2015    :   2016   :   2017
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              :                             1,000 acres
              :
Idaho ........:    33.0       38.0         36.0       32.0        37.0        35.0
Montana ......:   235.0      520.0        730.0      222.0       505.0       670.0
North Dakota .:   165.0      305.0        270.0      162.0       294.0       250.0
Washington ...:    60.0       70.0         68.0       59.0        69.0        67.0
              :
United States :   493.0      933.0      1,104.0      475.0       905.0     1,022.0
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              :          Yield per acre          :            Production
     State    :---------------------------------------------------------------------
              :   2015    :   2016   :   2017    :   2015    :   2016   :   2017
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              :   ----------- pounds ----------      --------- 1,000 cwt ---------
              :
Idaho ........:     800      1,550          900        256         574         315
Montana ......:   1,100      1,460          650      2,442       7,373       4,355
North Dakota .:   1,310      1,320          870      2,122       3,881       2,175
Washington ...:     750      1,400          950        443         966         637
              :
United States :   1,108      1,414          732      5,263      12,794       7,482
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