Winter Wheat Seedings ISSN: 1949-1980 Released January 12, 2016, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Planted Acres Down 7 Percent Winter wheat seeded area for 2016 is expected to total 36.6 million acres, down 7 percent from 2015. Approximate class acreage breakdowns are: Hard Red Winter, 26.5 million; Soft Red Winter, 6.72 million; and White Winter, 3.43 million. Winter Wheat Area Seeded - United States: 2014-2016 (Domestic Units) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Crop year : 2016 Crop :--------------------------------------------: as a percent : 2014 : 2015 : 2016 : of 2015 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 acres 1,000 acres 1,000 acres percent : Winter wheat ..: 42,409 39,461 36,609 93 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Winter Wheat Area Seeded - United States: 2014-2016 (Metric Units) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Crop year : 2016 Crop :--------------------------------------------: as a percent : 2014 : 2015 : 2016 : of 2015 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : hectares hectares hectares percent : Winter wheat ..: 17,162,500 15,969,470 14,815,300 93 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Winter wheat: Planted area for harvest in 2016 is estimated at 36.6 million acres, down 7 percent from 2015 and 14 percent below 2014. Seeding began in early September and remained at or behind the 5-year average seeding pace through the middle of November when seeding was mostly complete. Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat seeded area is expected to be 26.5 million acres, down 9 percent from 2015. Planted acreage is down from last year across most of the growing region. The largest declines in planted acreage are estimated in the Great Plains States. Record low acreage was seeded in Nebraska. Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat seeded area is about 6.72 million acres, down 5 percent from last year. Acreage decreases from last year are estimated in most southern SRW growing States, while most of the States in the northern half of the region seeded more acres than in 2015. Record low acreage was seeded in New Jersey. White Winter wheat seeded area totals nearly 3.43 million acres, up 1 percent from 2015. Planting in the Pacific Northwest got off to a normal start, but by the middle of October, progress was behind the 5-year average pace in Idaho and Washington. By November 9, seeding was virtually complete in the region. Durum wheat: Seedings in Arizona and California for 2016 harvest are estimated at a combined 140,000 acres, down 33 percent from 2015 but 20 percent above 2014. No major problems in the development of the crop have been reported. Favorable planting conditions were reported in the San Joaquin Valley and Imperial Valley. This report was approved on January 12, 2016. Secretary of Agriculture Designate Robert Johansson Agricultural Statistics Board Chairperson James M. Harris Winter Wheat Area Seeded - States and United States: 2014-2016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Crop year : 2016 State :--------------------------------------------------: as a percent : 2014 : 2015 : 2016 : of 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 acres 1,000 acres 1,000 acres percent : Alabama ........: 255 260 195 75 Arizona ........: 8 5 12 240 Arkansas .......: 465 350 230 66 California .....: 490 400 420 105 Colorado .......: 2,750 2,400 2,250 94 Delaware .......: 80 70 70 100 Florida ........: 15 25 30 120 Georgia ........: 300 215 230 107 Idaho ..........: 780 750 780 104 Illinois .......: 740 540 530 98 : Indiana ........: 390 290 420 145 Iowa ...........: 26 20 30 150 Kansas .........: 9,600 9,200 8,500 92 Kentucky .......: 630 560 550 98 Louisiana ......: 160 110 50 45 Maryland .......: 340 355 360 101 Michigan .......: 550 510 580 114 Minnesota ......: 42 52 41 79 Mississippi ....: 230 150 100 67 Missouri .......: 880 760 640 84 : Montana ........: 2,500 2,350 2,250 96 Nebraska .......: 1,550 1,490 1,280 86 Nevada .........: 15 8 8 100 New Jersey .....: 33 27 25 93 New Mexico .....: 380 385 380 99 New York .......: 120 120 130 108 North Carolina .: 830 650 510 78 North Dakota ...: 870 200 190 95 Ohio ...........: 620 520 590 113 Oklahoma .......: 5,300 5,300 4,900 92 : Oregon .........: 750 740 710 96 Pennsylvania ...: 185 195 220 113 South Carolina .: 230 170 110 65 South Dakota ...: 1,210 1,420 1,070 75 Tennessee ......: 530 455 400 88 Texas ..........: 6,000 6,000 5,300 88 Utah ...........: 120 115 125 109 Virginia .......: 290 260 260 100 Washington .....: 1,700 1,650 1,700 103 West Virginia ..: 10 9 8 89 Wisconsin ......: 295 230 295 128 Wyoming ........: 140 145 130 90 : United States ..: 42,409 39,461 36,609 93 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Durum Wheat Area Seeded - States and United States: 2014-2016 [Blank cells indicate estimation period has not begun] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Crop year : 2016 State :--------------------------------------------------: as a percent : 2014 : 2015 : 2016 1/ : of 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 acres 1,000 acres 1,000 acres percent : Arizona ........: 77 145 95 66 California .....: 40 65 45 69 Idaho ..........: 11 10 Montana ........: 435 620 North Dakota ...: 840 1,090 South Dakota ...: 4 6 : United States ..: 1,407 1,936 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Indicated 2016 area seeded for all six States and the United States will be published in "Prospective Plantings" released March 2016. Statistical Methodology Survey procedures: The estimates in this report are based primarily on surveys conducted the first two weeks of December. The December Agricultural Survey is a probability survey that includes a sample of approximately 83,000 farm operators selected from a list of producers that ensures all operations in the United States have a chance to be selected. Data from farm operators was collected by mail, internet, telephone, or personal interview to obtain information on crop acreage, yield, and production for the 2015 crop year and winter wheat and Durum wheat seedings for the 2016 crop year. Estimating procedures: National, Regional, State, and grower reported data were reviewed for reasonableness and consistency with historical estimates. Each Regional Office submits their analysis of the current situation to the Agricultural Statistics Board (ASB). Survey data are compiled to the National level and are reviewed at this level independently of each State's review. Estimates were based on survey data and the historical relationship of official estimates to survey data. Revision policy: These estimates will not be revised; instead, new estimates will be made throughout the growing season. End-of-season estimates are made after harvest and published in the Small Grains Annual Summary report at the end of September. Reliability: The survey used to make acreage estimates is subject to sampling and non-sampling type errors that are common to all surveys. The survey indications are subject to sampling variability because not all operations with winter wheat are included in the sample. This variability, as measured by the relative standard error at the National level, is approximately 1.4 percent for winter wheat. This means that chances are approximately 95 out of 100 that survey estimates for acres will be within plus or minus 2.8 percent for winter wheat. Survey indications are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omission, duplication, imputation for missing data, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. These errors cannot be measured directly, but they are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Crops Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov Lance Honig, Chief, Crops Branch......................... (202) 720-2127 Anthony Prillaman, Head, Field Crops Section............. (202) 720-2127 Angie Considine - Cotton, Cotton Ginnings, Sorghum.. (202) 720-5944 Tony Dahlman - Oats, Soybeans....................... (202) 690-3234 Chris Hawthorn - Corn, Flaxseed, Proso Millet....... (202) 720-9526 James Johanson - County Estimates, Hay.............. (202) 690-8533 Scott Matthews - Crop Weather, Barley............... (202) 720-7621 Jean Porter - Rye, Wheat............................ (202) 720-8068 Bianca Pruneda - Peanuts, Rice...................... (202) 720-7688 Travis Thorson - Sunflower, Other Oilseeds.......... (202) 720-7369 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov and click on "National" or "State" in upper right corner above "search" box to create an account and select the reports you would like to receive. 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