American producers intend to significantly reduce barley acres this year, while oat area will continue to bump along at a historic low.
According to Thursday’s USDA prospective plantings report, US farmers intend to plant 2.57 million acres to barley in 2024, a drop of 17% on the year, and below the 2.92 million planted in 2022. Meanwhile, national oat planted area is pegged at 2.32 million acres, up 1% from a year ago but still considered the lowest on record after the USDA discontinued oat estimates for four states this year.
In Montana, the largest barley state, acreage is expected to decrease by 20% from last year to 950,000, while North Dakota planted area is seen down 32% to 470,000. Record low acreage is expected in Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, and Oregon.
For oats, North Dakota producers are projected to hold acres steady from 2023 at 280,000, while Minnesota is up 9% at 180,000.
Beginning this year, the USDA is no longer reporting oat acres for Arkansas, California, Missouri and Oklahoma.
