News

USDA projecting lowest U.S. wheat acreage in more than a century

The USDA sees a more than 100-year low for U.S. wheat acreage in 2026.

Planted area for all types of wheat is expected to be the lowest since 1919 at 43.775 million acres, with winter wheat 2% under the prior projection and the year before at 32.41 million acres and spring wheat 6% lower than last year at 9.415 million acres.

For winter wheat, the mix includes 23.1 million acres of hard red winter, 5.79 million acres of soft red winter, and 3.54 million acres of white winter. For spring wheat, most of that is hard red spring at 8.78 million acres. Durum acreage is estimated at 1.95 million acres, which would be 11% below the prior year.

This follows a trend of declining U.S. wheat acreage due to large global supplies and slower demand for U.S. wheat.

These numbers will likely change due to weather during planting and financial considerations.

The USDA’s weekly national crop progress and condition reports resume Monday, April 6^th.

Wheat acreage comparisons for Brownfield states:

Arkansas: Winter Wheat: 110,000 acres, steady with 2025

Illinois: Winter Wheat: 720,000 acres, down 8% from 2025

Indiana: Winter Wheat: 300,000 acres, down 6% from 2025

Kansas: Winter Wheat: 7 million acres, down 7% from 2025

Kentucky: Winter Wheat: 440,000 acres, down 10% from 2025

Michigan: Winter Wheat: 520,000 acres, down 2% from 2025

Minnesota: Spring Wheat: 1.04 million acres, 10% lower than a year ago

Missouri: Winter Wheat: 610,000 acres, down 5% from 2025

Nebraska: Winter Wheat: ALL-TIME LOW 900,000 acres, down 5% from 2025

Ohio: Winter Wheat: 540,000 acres, down 5% from 2025

South Dakota: Winter Wheat: 690,000 acres, down 12% from 2025; Spring Wheat: 650,000 acres, 4% lower than a year ago

Tennessee: Winter Wheat: 270,000 acres, down 22% from 2025

Wisconsin: Winter Wheat: 275,000 acres, down 8% from 2025