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Wheat acreage will be unchanged, while barley, corn and hay will fluctuate only slightly, NASS says.

Farm Press Staff

April 2, 2021

4 Min Read
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Ripening wheat on the Palouse hills of Washington.USDA ARS

Planted acres of wheat, corn, barley and hay in the Pacific Northwest won't change much this season from 2020, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Wheat acreage will be unchanged, while barley acreage is expected to shrink by 2%, the agency predicts in its prospective plantings report issued March 31.

Acreages of corn and hay in the Northwest are each expected to rise by 2%, according to the report.

Current wheat stocks in the region are up 2% from March 1, 2020, NASS' Olympia, Wash., field office reported March 31 in a separate document.

Here are all the numbers for each crop, according to NASS.

Wheat

Producers in Idaho expect to plant 1.27 million acres of wheat for harvest this year, up 2% from 2020. Winter wheat acres planted are estimated at 730,000 acres, up 1% from last year. Planted acres of Durum wheat in Idaho, are estimated at 10,000 for 2021, unchanged from the previous year. Spring wheat planted acres, excluding Durum, are expected to total 530,000 acres, up 4% from last year.

Total acres planted to winter wheat in Oregon are estimated at 720,000 acres for 2021, down 3% from 2020. Washington is estimated to have 2.33 million total acres planted to wheat in 2021, down slightly from last year. Winter wheat planted acres are expected to total 1.75 million acres for this year, down 3% from 2020. Spring wheat acres planted are estimated at 580,000 acres, up 7% from last year.

Nationally, all planted wheat acres are expected to total 46.4 million acres, up 5% from 2020. Winter wheat acres are estimated at 33.1 million acres, up 9% from 2020. Durum wheat planted acres in the United States for 2021 are estimated at 1.54 million acres, down 9% from the previous year. All other spring wheat is estimated at 11.7 million planted acres, down 4% from 2020.

All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 53.3 million bushels in Idaho, down from 58.1 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were down 14%, while on-farm stocks were unchanged compared to the previous year.

In Oregon, wheat stored in all positions totaled 29.1 million bushels, down from 33.5 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were down 16%, while on-farm stocks were up 4% compared to the previous year. In Washington, wheat stored in all positions totaled 99.5 million bushels, up from 86.4 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were up 22%, while on-farm stocks were down 47% compared to the previous year.

Nationally, wheat stored in all positions totaled 1.31 billion bushels, down from 1.42 billion bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were down 4%, while on-farm stocks were down 16% compared to the previous year.

Barley

The planted area in Idaho for 2021 is expected to total 510,000 acres, down 4% from 2020. Oregon barley growers are expected to seed 45,000 acres, up 22% from last year. In Washington, acres planted to barley are estimated at 90,000 acres, unchanged from the previous year.

Total barley planted acres in the United States is estimated at 2.59 million acres for 2021, down 1% from 2020.

Barley stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 34.3 million bushels in Idaho, up from 34.3 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were down 11%, while on-farm stocks were up 14% compared to the previous year.

In Oregon, barley stored in all positions totaled 682,000 bushels. On-farm stocks were 130,000 bushels, down 46% compared to the previous year. Off farm stocks were 552,000 bushels, down 10% compared to previous year.

In Washington, barley stored in all positions totaled 5.99 million bushels, up from 5.15 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were up 16%, while on-farm stocks were up 17% compared to the previous year.

Nationally, barley stored in all positions totaled 120 million bushels, up from 115 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were up 1%, while on-farm stocks were up 8% compared to the previous year.

Corn

Planted acres in Idaho are expected to total 400,000 acres for 2021, up 3% from last year. Oregon is estimated to plant 120,000 acres, up 20% from 2020. Washington corn growers are expected to plant 165,000 acres this year, down 8% from the previous year.

Total acres of corn planted in the United States are expected to total 91.1 million acres, up slightly from last year.

Corn stored in off-farm locations on March 1, 2021 totaled 6.73 million bushels in Idaho, down from 7.55 million bushels a year ago. In Washington, corn stored in off-farm locations totaled 11.3 million bushels, up from 10.2 million bushels a year ago.

Nationally, corn stored in all positions totaled 7.70 billion bushels, down from 7.95 billion bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were up 5% while on-farm stocks were down 9% compared to the previous year.

Hay

All hay acres expected to be harvested in Idaho are estimated at 1.30 million acres, unchanged from 2020. In Oregon, all acres to be harvested for hay are estimated at 950,000 acres, down 1% from a year ago. All hay harvested acres in Washington is expected to be 750,000 acres up 9% from last year.

Nationally, total acres harvested for hay is estimated at 51.7 million acres, down 1% from the previous year.

Oats

Oats stored in off-farm locations on March 1, 2021 totaled 162,000 bushels in Idaho, up from 124,000 bushels a year ago. In Oregon, oats stored in off-farm locations totaled 260,000 bushels.

Nationally, oats stored in all positions totaled 51.5 million bushels, up from 47.7 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were up 13%, while on-farm stocks were down slightly from last year.

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