How much of what will be planted this spring?

Farm and Ranch February 17, 2010 This is the time of the year when farmers are deciding what and how much to plant in spring crops. Analysts are trying to estimate what farmers will plant. USDA says one trend seems solid. Look at winter wheat acreage planted last fall.

Bange: “We are looking at the lowest winter wheat acreage since 1913.”

And USDA Outlook Chairman Jerry Bange says with huge amounts of wheat in the world and prices expected to almost 30% lower than last season for U.S. growers.

Bange: “They are looking at other crops than wheat.”

In areas of the country where they can raise something other than wheat, what might that be?

Bange: “We probably will see some of those acres go into corn and soybeans. There has been a lot of discussion, especially with regard to corn, attracting some of those wheat acres.”

Bange says we may know more about how this will turn out later this week after the USDA’s annual Outlook Forum, which is Thursday and Friday in Arlington, Virginia.

Bange: “Our analysts at the forum will in fact be giving their first view on what they think the 2010-2011 year is going to look like.”

And the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is now surveying farmers across the country on just what their planting intentions are for this spring. The USDA will issue the results of the survey in its planting intentions report at the end of March. It will be June before USDA issues a report on what farmers actually plant.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.