April 5, 2001

Market Advisor: Acres up for Spring Wheat, Soybeans and Canola

by George Flaskerud, Crops Economist
NDSU Extension Service

Producers in North Dakota and the United States intend to plant more acres of spring wheat, soybeans and canola this year. Non-oil sunflowers also scored gains in the United States but not in North Dakota, according to the Planting Intentions Report released by USDA on March 30.

Other spring wheat (mostly hard red spring) acres are expected to be up 2 percent in the United States and 4 percent in North Dakota. Significant increases are also expected in Idaho, Washington and Minnesota. Decreases are expected in South Dakota, Montana and Oregon.

Durum acres are expected to be down 12 percent in the United States and 14 percent in North Dakota. The only other state with significant spring planted durum is Montana and acres there are expected to be down 2 percent.

Soybeans will experience the largest gain in acres planted in North Dakota with an increase of 500,000 acres or 26 percent. In the United States, planting intentions for soybeans are up 3 percent.

Canola is also expected to show big gains in planted acres, up 325,000 or 26 percent in North Dakota. Minnesota was the only other state listed in the report and acres there are expected to be down 4 percent. Acres in other states are expected to remain steady.

Kansas, Nebraska and Texas producers are expected to plant more oil and nonoil sunflowers. Increased nonoil sunflowers are also expected in South Dakota and Colorado. North Dakota producers intend to plant 12 percent fewer oil sunflowers and 6 percent fewer nonoil sunflowers. At the U.S. level, acres are expected to drop 5 percent for the oils but increase 9 percent for the nonoils.

Barley acres dropped sharply in North Dakota, down 300,000 or 16 percent. Nationwide, the decrease was 9 percent. Planting intentions are also down for other feed grains. Corn acres are expected to be down 12 percent in North Dakota and 4 percent in the United States. Oats acres are expected to be down 8 percent in North Dakota and 1 percent in the United States.

Dry edible beans acres are expected to be down 110,000 or 18 percent in North Dakota and down 303,000 or 17 percent in the United States. Sugarbeet acres are expected to remain steady in North Dakota but decrease 8 percent in the United States.

###

Source: George Flaskerud, (701) 231-7377, gflasker@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu