The Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks Report was released today, and Associate Farm Editor Stevie White had the chance to talk with USDA State Statistician Troy Marshall about the results and how that data compares to the January reports.
Surveys were conducted on March 1st to get the updated data for today’s report, and Oklahoma winter wheat was reduced by 100,000 acres compared to the January seedings report to 4.15 million acres planted, down 5% from last year. Texas’s numbers were unchanged from last year at 5.5 million acres, but down 300,000 acres from the January projections. Kansas estimates about 7.3 million acres of wheat planted, down 4 % from last year and also down 100,000 acres from the January report.
“For wheat, I think a lot of that is driven around a lot of the weather and planting conditions that we saw as we go through,” Marshall said. “We are still seeing reports of drought with the drought monitor over the last couple of weeks. We did see some rain come through, but it was kind of spotty this last weekend, but we have some pretty good chances for next week, so hopefully everyone who has wheat in will get something going there.”
Along with the rain, if it arrives, Oklahoma producers will be looking to put corn in the ground soon as Texas has already started.
Nationally, corn acres are estimated to be greater this year and that increase is mirrored in the tri-state area being discussed. Oklahoma projected plantings are up 7% from last year to 480,000. In Texas, the 2.45-million-acre projection is up 14% from this time last year. In Kansas, 6.4 million acres reflects a 2% increase over last year.
Oklahoma grain sorghum planting projections were up 8% to 400,000 acres from this time last year. Texas’s projected sorghum acres increased 12 percent from last year to 1.9 million acres. Kansas’s 3.1 million acres increased by 3 percent over last year.
The numbers for projected upland cotton acres were down at the national level to 9.7 million acres, a 12 percent drop from last year. Oklahoma will plant 24% fewer cotton acres- 330,000, if USDA is correct. Texas’s projected acres were down 8% from last year to 5.5 million acres. Kansas’s projections were actually up 7% to 140,000.
All of the three states also saw a decrease in acres intended to be harvested for hay. Oklahoma is down about 2% from last year; Texas is down about 10%, and Kansas is down about 4%.
“We are seeing some similar themes across the states which, for the most part, are reactant to that harvest from last year and some of the moisture levels that we’ve had as producers plan for the upcoming planting year,” Marshall concluded.
Kansas Prospective Plantings Report.
Oklahoma Prospective Plantings Report.
Texas Prospective Plantings Report.
