Winter Wheat Seedings 

ISSN: 1949-1980

Released January 12, 2011, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department 

of Agriculture (USDA).

Planted Acres Up 10 Percent

Winter wheat seeded area for 2011 is expected to total 41.0 million acres, up 10 percent from 2010. Approximate class 

acreage breakdowns are: Hard Red Winter, 29.6 million; Soft Red Winter, 7.76 million; and White Winter, 3.66 million.

Winter Wheat Area Seeded – United States: 2009-2011 (Domestic Units)

State

Crop year 2011

as a percent

of 2010 2009 2010 2011

(1,000 acres) (1,000 acres) (1,000 acres) (percent)

Winter wheat .................. 43,346 37,335 40,990 110

Winter Wheat Area Seeded – United States: 2009-2011 (Metric Units)

State

Crop year 2011

as a percent

of 2010 2009 2010 2011

(hectares) (hectares) (hectares) (percent)

Winter wheat .................. 17,541,690 15,109,100 16,588,240 110
2 Winter Wheat Seedings (January 2011)

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Winter wheat: Planted area for harvest in 2011 is estimated at 41.0 million acres, up 10 percent from 2010 but 5 percent 

below 2009. Seeding began last August and during September was slightly behind the 5-year average. During October, 

seeding progressed slightly ahead of the 5-year average. More acres were seeded this year due to the early row crop 

harvest and higher prices. The winter wheat crop condition at the end of November was rated 47 percent good to excellent 

compared with 63 percent the previous year.

Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat seeded area is about 29.6 million acres, up 4 percent from 2010. Acreage is above last 

year’s level in all States in the HRW growing area except Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The largest acreage 

increases are in Kansas and South Dakota, up 400,000 and 300,000 acres, respectively. The dry fall limited planted acres 

in some States and lack of moisture continues to be a concern across much of the HRW growing area.

Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat seeded area is about 7.76 million acres, up 47 percent from last year. Large acreage 

increases from last year are estimated in all SRW growing States. Record or near record low acreages occurred in many 

States last year due to the late row crop harvest during the fall of 2009. The early row crop harvest and dry conditions this 

fall allowed many of those acres to be seeded. Farmers in several States reported trouble finding enough seed due to the 

large increase in acres seeded. The largest acreage increases are in Arkansas, Illinois, and Missouri. Winter wheat in 

Arkansas is up 250,000 acres, 125 percent above 2010. Illinois is up 410,000 acres, 124 percent above last year. Acreage 

seeded in Missouri is up 380,000 acres, a 103 percent increase from 2010.

White Winter wheat seeded area totals nearly 3.66 million acres, up 4 percent from 2010. Planted acreage in the Pacific 

Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) is up from last year. Winter wheat planted area is up 90,000 acres from 2010 

in Idaho, down 10,000 in Oregon, and unchanged in Washington. Seeding started off slow but by early October was ahead 

of the 5-year average in all three States. By November 7, seeding was virtually complete in the region with 96 percent of 

the acreage emerged in Washington, 90 percent emerged in Idaho and 78 percent emerged in Oregon.

Durum wheat: Seedings in Arizona and California for 2011 harvest are estimated at 235,000 acres, up 21 percent from 

the 2010, but 23 percent below 2009. Planted acreage is unchanged from last year in Arizona but up 40,000 in California.

Planting is ongoing in California's San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys. No major problems with the crop have been 

reported.

This report was approved on January 12, 2011.

Acting Secretary of

Agriculture

Darci L. Vetter

Agricultural Statistics Board

Chairperson

Hubert Hamer
Winter Wheat Seedings (January 2011) 3

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Winter Wheat Area Seeded – States and United States: 2009-2011

State

Crop year 2011

as a percent

of 2010 2009 2010 2011

(1,000 acres) (1,000 acres) (1,000 acres) (percent)

Alabama .........................

Arizona ...........................

Arkansas ........................

California ........................

Colorado .........................

Delaware ........................

Florida ............................

Georgia ..........................

Idaho ..............................

Illinois .............................

Indiana ...........................

Iowa ................................

Kansas ...........................

Kentucky .........................

Louisiana ........................

Maryland .........................

Michigan .........................

Minnesota .......................

Mississippi ......................

Missouri ..........................

Montana .........................

Nebraska ........................

Nevada ...........................

New Jersey .....................

New Mexico ....................

New York ........................

North Carolina ................

North Dakota ..................

Ohio ................................

Oklahoma .......................

Oregon ...........................

Pennsylvania ..................

South Carolina ................

South Dakota ..................

Tennessee ......................

Texas .............................

Utah ................................

Virginia ...........................

Washington ....................

West Virginia ..................

Wisconsin .......................

Wyoming ........................

United States ..................

220

7

430

615

2,600

70

17

340

740

850

470

28

9,300

510

185

230

630

55

180

780

2,550

1,700

16

34

450

115

700

580

1,010

5,700

760

190

165

1,700

430

6,400

140

250

1,700

9

335

155

43,346

150

9

200

660

2,450

50

12

170

750

330

250

15

8,400

390

125

180

530

65

125

370

2,050

1,600

19

28

470

110

500

330

780

5,300

820

165

145

1,350

260

5,700

135

180

1,750

7

240

165

37,335

200

10

450

730

2,500

70

13

225

840

740

430

20

8,800

480

200

300

700

34

300

750

2,200

1,550

19

40

450

120

630

340

930

5,400

810

180

180

1,650

310

5,750

140

280

1,750

9

320

140

40,990

133

111

225

111

102

140

108

132

112

224

172

133

105

123

160

167

132

52

240

203

107

97

100

143

96

109

126

103

119

102

99

109

124

122

119

101

104

156

100

129

133

85

110
4 Winter Wheat Seedings (January 2011)

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Durum Wheat Area Seeded – States and United States: 2009-2011

[Blank cells indicate estimation period has not begun]

State

Crop year 2011

as a percent

of 2010 2009 2010 2011 1

(1,000 acres) (1,000 acres) (1,000 acres) (percent)

Arizona .........................

California ......................

Idaho .............................

Montana ........................

North Dakota .................

South Dakota ................

United States ................

125

180

20

570

1,650

9

2,554

80

115

20

540

1,800

15

2,570

80

155

100

135

1

Indicated 2011 area seeded for all six States and the United States will be published in Prospective Plantings released March 31, 2011.
Winter Wheat Seedings (January 2011) 5

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Statistical Methodology

Survey procedures: The estimates in this report are based primarily on surveys conducted the first two weeks of 

December. The December Agricultural Survey is a probability survey that includes a sample of approximately 

84,000 farm operators selected from a list of producers that ensures all operations in the United States have a chance to be 

selected. These operators were contacted by mail, internet, telephone, or personal interview to obtain information on crop 

acreage, yield, and production for the 2010 crop year and winter wheat and Durum wheat seedings for the 2011 crop year. 

Estimating procedures: National, Regional, State, and grower reported data were reviewed for reasonableness and 

consistency with historical estimates. Each State Office submits their analysis of the current situation to the Agricultural 

Statistics Board (ASB). Survey data are compiled to the National level and are reviewed at this level independently of 

each State’s review. Estimates were based on survey data and the historical relationship of official estimates to survey 

data.

Revision policy: These estimates will not be revised; instead, new forecasts will be made throughout the growing season. 

End-of-season estimates are made after harvest and published in the Small Grains Annual Summary report at the end of 

September.

Reliability: The survey used to make acreage estimates is subject to sampling and non-sampling type errors that are 

common to all surveys. The survey indications are subject to sampling variability because not all operations with winter 

wheat are included in the sample. This variability, as measured by the relative standard error at the National level, is 

approximately 1.4 percent for winter wheat. This means that chances are approximately 95 out of 100 that survey 

estimates for acres will be within plus or minus 2.8 percent for winter wheat.

Survey indications are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omission, duplication, imputation for missing data, and 

mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. These errors cannot be measured directly, but they are 

minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for 

consistency and reasonableness.
6 Winter Wheat Seedings (January 2011)

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Information Contacts

Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Crops Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact 

for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov

Lance Honig, Chief, Crops Branch .......................................................................................................(202) 720-2127

Jacqueline Moore, Head, Field Crops Section ...................................................................................... (202) 720-2127

 Suzanne Avilla – Peanuts, Rice........................................................................................................ (202) 720-7688

 Bryan Durham – Hay, Oats.............................................................................................................. (202) 690-3234

 Steve Maliszewski – Cotton, Cotton Ginnings, Sorghum................................................................ (202) 720-5944

 Anthony Prillaman – Corn, Proso Millet, Flaxseed ......................................................................... (202) 720-9526

 Nick Schauer – Wheat, Rye ............................................................................................................. (202) 720-8068

 Julie Schmidt – Crop Weather, Barley, Sugar Crops....................................................................... (202) 720-7621

 Travis Thorson – Soybeans, Sunflower, Other Oilseeds..................................................................(202) 720-7369
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For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways:

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For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 

7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. 

 

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