04/04/05 All wheat acres up slightly in PNW

Farm and Ranch April 4, 2005 That Plantings Intentions report issued by the Agricultural Statistics Service last Thursday showed that farmers in the Pacific Northwest planned to seed less spring wheat this year compared to 2004 due in part at least to the dry conditions in the region. Rain since the survey was conducted in early March could change some farmers' plans. But in the survey spring wheat acreage was down 17 percent in Washington and Oregon and down six percent in Idaho. Ray Garibay, Director of the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service, points out however, that total wheat acreage in the region is up slightly over 2004. Garibay: "We did see more acreage of winter wheat last fall. Which if you look at the all wheat number you are going to see a slight increase from a year ago because the increase in winter wheat seeding offset the decline in the spring wheat." Nationally total wheat acreage is pegged to drop two percent over last year at 58.6 million acres. Spring wheat acreage nationally is up four percent over last year with the hard red spring wheat states of North and South Dakota and Minnesota offsetting the declines in the Pacific Northwest. U.S. farmers said they intended to plant 3.97 million acres of barley this year, down 12 percent from 2004. North Dakota barley plantings, if realized, would be the fewest on record. Acreage intentions in Washington and Montana are the lowest since 1953. USDA cites drought conditions and an expected decrease in malting barley contracts as factors for the drop. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network..