Cr Pr 2-3 (1-00)

Washington, D.C.

Winter Wheat

Seedings

Released January 12, 2000, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of

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

Planted Acres Lowest Since 1972

Winter wheat seeded area for 2000 is expected to total 42.9 million acres, down 1 percent from 1999. This is

the smallest area since 1972. Class breakdowns approximate: Hard Red Winter, 30.3 million; Soft Red

Winter, 9.2 million; White Winter, 3.4 million.

Winter Wheat: Area Seeded, United States, 1998-00

(Domestic Units)

Item

Crop Year 2000

as Pct. of

1998 1999 2000 1999

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

Winter

 Wheat 46,449 43,431 42,916 99

Winter Wheat: Area Seeded, United States, 1998-00

(Metric Units)

Item

Crop Year 2000

as Pct. of

1998 1999 2000 1999

Hectares Hectares Hectares Percent

Winter

 Wheat 18,797,446 17,576,091 17,367,676 99
Winter Wheat Seedings Agricultural Statistics Board

January 2000 2 NASS, USDA

Winter Wheat: Planted area for harvest in 2000 is estimated at 42.9 million acres. This is down 1 percent

from 1999 and is the lowest level since 1972. Seeding started last August in the Pacific Northwest, some

Mountain states, and Minnesota. Progress moved steadily forward through the fall, only slowing in some

locations as farmers waited for rain. Seeding should finish sometime in February in California. About

98 percent of the U.S. acreage was seeded by December 1. Most remaining intended area is in the Southeast,

California, and Texas. 

Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat seeded area is about 30.3 million acres, down 2 percent from 1999. Most

HRW states have planted less wheat. Montana and South Dakota are notable exceptions; New Mexico and

North Dakota also have increased. Dry conditions have plagued growers from Texas to Nebraska. Extreme

dryness has covered much of Texas since August, particularly in the eastern half of the State. Considerable

acreage was either dry planted or not planted at all. Lack of moisture stressed wheat across Oklahoma, but

especially in the southern half of the State. Seeding was virtually complete in Kansas by the first week of

November. Emergence was ahead of normal until mid-November when conditions declined and emergence

slowed due to the lack of topsoil moisture. Seeding conditions in Colorado were quite favorable with

excellent moisture supplies and mild temperatures leading to good germination and establishment. Favorable

weather contributed to increased acreage in the Dakotas.

Soft Red Winter area is up slightly from last year, at about 9.2 million acres. This is due primarily to an

increase of 180,000 acres in Arkansas where conditions are better than a year ago. Other notable increases

are expected in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Sharp acreage declines were reported

in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. Dry weather continues to be a concern for

farmers in the southeast. 

White Winter wheat seeded area totals about 3.4 million acres, down fractionally from 1999. Many farmers

in Idaho worried about a lack of moisture for germination, but ample rains during November helped alleviate

their concerns. Seeding was delayed in Oregon due to drought conditions in most of the State’s wheat

growing areas. Washington got off to a slow winter wheat season because of limited moisture at planting

time.

Durum Wheat: Seedings in Arizona and California for 2000 harvest are placed at 170,000 acres. This total

is up 3 percent from their final 1999 planting. Seeding in California’s San Joaquin Valley progressed rapidly

during October and November. Seeding began in the Imperial Valley in late November and will continue into

March as the winter vegetable harvest finishes.

This report was approved on January 12, 2000.

Acting Secretary of

Agriculture

Richard E. Rominger

Agricultural Statistics Board

Chairperson

Frederic A. Vogel
Winter Wheat Seedings Agricultural Statistics Board

January 2000 3 NASS, USDA

Winter Wheat: Area Seeded, by State and United States, 1998-00

State

Crop Year 2000

as Pct. of

1998 1999 2000 1999

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

8

980

500

2,750

75

15

290

820

1,250

700

40

10,700

750

100

225

600

60

160

1,350

1,400

1,900

7

48

415

140

730

70

1,200

6,600

810

195

265

1,500

570

6,100

155

280

2,200

11

140

220

46,449

140

11

970

500

2,600

75

16

300

760

1,050

550

40

10,000

650

110

215

610

40

180

980

1,050

2,000

11

42

445

130

650

60

1,050

6,400

710

195

225

1,300

500

6,200

150

280

1,900

11

125

200

43,431

130

10

1,150

500

2,550

65

20

250

780

950

550

20

9,800

650

100

215

530

20

210

1,000

1,500

1,850

9

44

470

160

720

100

1,020

6,100

730

200

190

1,350

580

5,800

150

250

1,850

13

140

190

42,916

93

91

119

100

98

87

125

83

103

90

100

50

98

100

91

100

87

50

117

102

143

93

82

105

106

123

111

167

97

95

103

103

84

104

116

94

100

89

97

118

112

95

99
Winter Wheat Seedings Agricultural Statistics Board

January 2000 4 NASS, USDA

Durum Wheat: Area Seeded, by State and United States, 1998-00

State

Crop Year 2000

as Pct. of

1998 1999 2000 1999 1

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

AZ

CA

MN

MT

ND

SD

US

145

180

5

450

3,000

25

3,805

75

90

5

360

3,450

55

4,035

90

80

120

89

1 Indicated 2000 area seeded for all six states will be published in "Prospective Plantings" released March 31, 2000.
The next "Winter Wheat Seedings" report will be released in January 2001.

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