Washington, DC, USA
January 20, 2011
by Chad Weigand, USW Market Analyst
In its Jan. 12 Winter Wheat Seedings report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected a 10 percent increase in U.S. winter wheat planted acres compared to 2010. USDA estimated planted area at 41.0 million acres (16.6 million hectares) as farmers planted more wheat, mainly attributed to the promise of higher prices and plenty of time to plant after the farmers harvested their row crops. While acreage is up, it falls one percent below the five-year average of 41.6 million acres, consistent with the trend of declining wheat acreage in the United States.
USDA estimated a 47 percent increase in soft red winter (SRW) acreage after it fell to 5.3 million acres in 2010. The top soft red winter (SRW) producing states (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Missouri) all recorded record low acreage for the 2010/11 crop. Farmers in all four states increased SRW acreage for 2011, but still planted less than 2009 levels. USDA pegged total 2011 SRW acreage at 7.8 million acres, which fell five percent below the five-year average of 8.2 million acres.
HRW acreage increased by four percent from a year ago, with notable increases recorded for Kansas and Oklahoma. Kansas had the largest increase for HRW states, with acreage increasing by 400,000 acres to 8.8 million acres. While this is up five percent from last year, it is seven percent below the five-year average and the second lowest total since 1957.
Similar to Kansas, Oklahoma acreage is up, but well below the five-year average. Mike Schulte, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, said this week that strong cotton prices, which hit record highs last year, led to lost wheat acreage in the southwestern part of the state. USDA estimated Oklahoma winter wheat acreage at 5.4 million acres, up two percent from 2010, but four percent below the five-year average. USDA’s total HRW acreage projection reached 29.6 million acres, compared to 28.6 million acres last year, but short of the five-year average of 30.8 million acres.
White winter wheat acreage increased by four percent from last year, but fell below its five-year average of 3.74 million acres. White winter wheat acreage totaled 3.66 million acres, with farmers in Idaho increasing plantings by 12 percent, to 840,000 acres. In Washington, the largest white wheat producing state, acreage remained steady, at 1.8 million acres.
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