Cr Pr 2-3 (1-06)

Washington, D.C.

Winter Wheat

Seedings

Released January 12, 2006, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of

Agriculture. For information on Winter Wheat Seedings call Scott Cox at (202) 720-8068, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

Planted Acres Up 2 Percent

Winter wheat seeded area for 2006 is expected to total 41.4 million acres, up 2 percent from 2005. 

Approximate class acreage breakdowns are: Hard Red Winter, 29.9 million; Soft Red Winter, 7.3 million;

and White Winter, 4.2 million.

Winter Wheat: Area Seeded, United States, 2004-2006

(Domestic Units)

Item

Crop Year 2006

as Pct. of

2004 2005 2005 1 2006

1,000 Acres 1,000 Acres 1,000 Acres Percent

Winter

 Wheat 43,350 40,433 41,367 102

 1 Updated from “Small Grains 2005 Summary” released September 30, 2005.

Winter Wheat: Area Seeded, United States, 2004-2006

(Metric Units)

Item

Crop Year 2006

as Pct. of

2004 2005 2005 1 2006

Hectares Hectares Hectares Percent

Winter

 Wheat 17,543,310 16,362,830 16,740,810 102

 1 Updated from “Small Grains 2005 Summary” released September 30, 2005.
Winter Wheat Seedings Agricultural Statistics Board

January 2006 2 NASS, USDA

Winter Wheat: Planted area for harvest in 2006 is estimated at 41.4 million acres, up 2 percent from 2005. 

Seeding began last August and was behind the 5-year average pace because of a lack of moisture in the

southern Great Plains during September and much of October. Precipitation during mid-October relieved

moisture concerns somewhat in major producing areas and allowed seeding to advance ahead of the 5-year

average during the latter part of the month as mild and dry weather conditions prevailed. Nearly all of the

U.S. acreage was seeded by December 1 with the exception of some intended acres in the Southeast and

California. Seeding should finish this month in California. The winter wheat crop condition at the end of

November was rated at 52 percent good to excellent compared with 76 percent last year.

Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat seeded area is about 29.9 million acres, down 1 percent from 2005. Acreage

was below last year’s level in all HRW growing States except for Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. In Kansas,

acreage increased due to supportive moisture supplies during September and October along with concerns

about high fuel and fertilizer prices for spring planted crops. Growers in Texas and Oklahoma planted more

acres this year despite concerns about the dry fall weather. In Texas, growers were able to increase seedings

in the Blacklands from last year when excessive rain prevented many acres from being seeded. In contrast,

acreage decreases occurred in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Montana despite excellent seeding and

germination conditions in most areas. 

Soft Red Winter (SRW) area, at about 7.3 million acres, is up 19 percent from last year. Large acreage

increases occurred in most SRW growing States due largely to ideal planting and germination conditions. 

This was in contrast to last year when wet fall weather conditions prevented operators from planting all of the

acreage that they would normally plant. Acreage was above last year’s level in all States in the northern

portion of the SRW growing area except for North Carolina and New Jersey due to supportive seeding

conditions and moisture supplies. The acreage increase was most notable in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and

Ohio. In Wisconsin, planting area is at a record high level. Conversely, due largely to dry fall weather in the

Delta and Southeast growing areas, acreage was at or below last year’s level in all States except Georgia,

Arkansas, and Tennessee. 

White Winter wheat seeded area totals nearly 4.2 million acres, down 1 percent from 2005. Crop conditions

varied across the three Pacific Northwest States (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) throughout the fall. 

Washington’s planted acreage is unchanged from 2005 despite seeding beginning late and some early

concerns about moisture supplies. In Idaho, frequent rains resulted in good emergence and stand

development for the crop.

Durum Wheat: Seedings in Arizona and California for 2006 harvest are estimated at 145,000 acres. This

total is down 6 percent from their 2005 level. Planting is ongoing in California’s San Jaoquin and Imperial

Valleys. The crop’s emergence has been slow due to dry weather. In Arizona, acreage is down due to the

cost of fertilizer and concerns about low prices. No major problems with the crop have been reported.

This report was approved on January 12, 2006.

Acting Secretary of

Agriculture

Charles F. Conner

Agricultural Statistics Board

Chairperson

Carol C. House
Winter Wheat Seedings Agricultural Statistics Board

January 2006 3 NASS, USDA

Winter Wheat: Area Seeded, by State and United States, 2004-2006

State

Crop Year 2006

as Pct. of

2004 2005 2005 1 2006

1,000 Acres 1,000 Acres 1,000 Acres Percent

AL

AZ

AR

CA

CO

DE

FL

GA

ID

IL

IN

IA

KS

KY

LA

MD

MI

MN

MS

MO

MT

NE

NV

NJ

NM

NY

NC

ND

OH

OK

OR

PA

SC

SD

TN

TX

UT

VA

WA

WV

WI

WY

US

120

5

670

560

2,300

50

18

330

750

920

450

28

10,000

530

180

160

660

27

160

1,050

1,900

1,850

6

28

490

105

600

245

920

6,200

820

140

190

1,650

400

6,300

130

210

1,800

8

240

150

43,350

100

5

220

495

2,550

52

18

280

770

630

360

20

10,000

390

110

155

600

20

70

590

2,150

1,850

8

28

450

100

560

310

860

5,700

830

150

170

1,550

240

5,500

145

180

1,850

7

200

160

40,433

100

4

370

430

2,400

48

18

300

750

860

460

25

10,200

390

110

180

610

30

60

1,000

2,000

1,750

16

23

440

130

550

180

990

5,800

800

160

140

1,350

300

5,800

135

200

1,850

8

250

150

41,367

100

80

168

87

94

92

100

107

97

137

128

125

102

100

100

116

102

150

86

169

93

95

200

82

98

130

98

58

115

102

96

107

82

87

125

105

93

111

100

114

125

94

102

 1 Updated from “Small Grains 2005 Summary” released September 30, 2005.
Winter Wheat Seedings Agricultural Statistics Board

January 2006 4 NASS, USDA

Durum Wheat: Area Seeded, by State and United States, 2004-2006

State

Crop Year 2006

as Pct. of

2004 2005 2005 1 2006 2

1,000 Acres 1,000 Acres 1,000 Acres Percent

AZ

CA

ID 3

MN 4

MT

ND

SD

US

100

120

1

570

1,750

20

2,561

80

75

20

590

1,980

15

2,760

70

75

88

100

 1 Updated from “Small Grains 2005 Summary” released September 30, 2005. 2 Indicated 2006 area seeded for all six states will be published in “Prospective Plantings” released March 31, 2006. 3 Estimates began in 2005. 4 Estimates discontinued in 2005.
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Prospering in Rural America

February 16-17, 2006

 Crystal Gateway

 Marriott Hotel

 Arlington, Virginia

The theme is “Prospering in Rural America,” and the program

will highlight the economic development of rural America. In

addition, there will be a broad range of sessions, including

Shifting Trade Patterns, Chinese Agriculture, Homeland

Security, the African Growth & Opportunity Act, Bio-fuel

Production and New Energy Forms in Rural Areas, Community

Supported Agriculture, and Feedback from the 2007 Farm Bill

Listening Sessions. 

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and other top experts in

agriculture will be among the more than 130 speakers. 

Find full program and registration details at

www.usda.gov/oce/forum or call toll free, 1-877-572-6043.

Forum speeches can be downloaded after February 17, 2006.

 www.usda.gov/oce/forum (877) 572-6043 toll free