USDA projects winter wheat planted acres down 6 percent in 2024

Date:01-16-2024

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its Winter Wheat and Canola Seedings report. This report includes data on the annual seeded acreage of winter wheat, durum wheat, and canola seedlings. Data is presented on a national basis and on a state by state basis with historical context given for the current year's seeded acreage.

Winter wheat seeded area for 2024 is expected to total 34.4 million acres, down 6 percent from 2023. Approximate class acreage breakdowns are: Hard Red Winter, 24.0 million; Soft Red Winter, 6.86 million; and White Winter, 3.54 million.

Winter wheat: Planted area for harvest in 2024 is estimated at 34.4 million acres, down 6 percent from 2023 but up 3 percent from 2022. Kansas and Texas, the two largest acreage States, are expected to be down 7 and 8 percent, respectively. A record low planted area is expected in Michigan and Utah. Seeding of the 2024 acreage was underway in early-September and began the month 2 percentage points behind to the 5-year average pace. Throughout much of the season, planting progressed on pace with the 5-year average and reached 81 percent complete by November 12. Emergence was 2 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average pace on November 26.

Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat seeded area is expected to total 24.0 million acres, down 5 percent from 2023. Planted acreage is down from last year across most of the growing region. The largest decreases in planted acreage are estimated in Kansas and Texas, while Montana is estimated to have a modest increase.

Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat seeded area totals 6.86 million acres, down 13 percent from last year. Compared with last year, the largest acreage decrease is expected in Michigan, while the largest acreage increase is expected in Pennsylvania. 

White Winter wheat seeded area totals 3.54 million acres, down 5 percent from 2023. Seeding was virtually complete in the region by the start of November.

Durum wheat: Seedings in Arizona and California for 2024 harvest are estimated at a combined 65,000 acres, up 16 percent from 2023 but 48 percent below 2022.

Canola: This report contains the first estimate of 2024 canola seedings for Kansas and Oklahoma. Acres seeded in Kansas and Oklahoma for 2024 harvest are estimated at a combined 33,000 acres, an increase of 28,500 acres, from 2023. Planted area in Kansas would represent the second lowest on record, if realized. 

Learn more at USDA's website.