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Prairie Grains is the official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat, Inc., and the Minnesota Barley Growers Association.

U.S. area planted to durum wheat is intended to increase to 4.27 million acres, up 12% from 1998. Spurred on by an attractive crop insurance product (Crop Revenue Coverage-CRC), this would be the largest durum area since 1982.

The 1999 other spring wheat planted acreage is placed at 15.4 million acres, which would be down 2% from last year. If realized, this will be the smallest area since 1988. Of the total, about 14.5 million acres are hard red spring wheat.

See more on the all-wheat breakdown in selected states, and planted/harvested acreage summaries since 1990, in the charts at right.

U.S. corn acreage is estimated at 78.2 million acres, down 2% from both last year and 1997 and if realized, this would be the lowest planted acreage since 1995. U.S. soybean acreage is estimated at 73.1 million acres, up 1% from last year. If realized, this will be the largest planted area for soybeans on record.

Following is a summary of estimates for crops in the U.S., MN, ND, and SD. USDA’s next prospective plantings report is June 30, and variables such as price and weather may affect these estimates in the meantime.

U.S. prospective plantings—Spring wheat acreage (other than durum, mostly hard red spring) is expected to be down 2% from last year. Estimates for other U.S. crops: U.S. barley acreage, down 17%; U.S. oat acreage, down 3%; U.S. oil sunflower, up 5%; U.S. non-oil sunflower, up 43%; U.S. flax acreage, up 55%; U.S. dry bean acreage, up 2%; U.S. all hay, unchanged; U.S. sugarbeet acreage, up 3%.

MN prospective plantings—Spring wheat, up 8%; barley, down 43%; corn acres down 4%; Oats, up 7%; Durum, up 300% (5,000 acres to 20,000); Soybean acres, unchanged; Oil sunflowers, up 28%; Non-oil sunflower, up 113% (40,000 acres to 85,000); Flax, down 33%; Dry edible beans, up 24%; All hay, down 2%; Sugarbeets, up 3%.

ND prospective plantings—Spring wheat, down 13%; Barley, down 25%; Corn acres down 2%, Oats, down 14%; Durum, up 20%; Soybeans, down 10%; Oil sunflower, down 12%; Non-oil sunflower, up 41%; Flax, up 71%; Dry edible beans, down 7%; All hay, down 4%; Sugarbeets, unchanged.

SD prospective plantings—Spring wheat, down 3%; Barley, down 22%; corn acres unchanged; Oats, down 17%; Durum, up 220% (25,000 acres to 80,000); Soybeans, up 13%; Oil sunflower, up 22%; Non-oil sunflower, up 50%; Flax, down 33%; All hay, up 5%.

No grain stocks surprises— they’re up
On March 31, the USDA released its estimate of grain stocks on hand in the U.S. The report indicated that all wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 1999 totaled 1.44 billion bushels, up 24% from a year ago to the biggest March number since 1988. Corn stocks were up 15%, soybean stocks up 21%, and barley up 11%, all positions.