US winter wheat plantings up from 2024

Farmers last fall planted more acres to winter wheat for harvest in 2025 than they did for 2024, but fewer than 2023 and just shy of the five-year average acreage, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Seedings of winter wheat for harvest this year were estimated at 34.115 million acres in data issued Jan. 10 by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The acreage estimate was up from 2024 winter wheat plantings and exceeded analysts’ expectations that averaged 33.4 million acres issued ahead of the annual Winter Wheat and Canola Seedings report.

Throughout much of the planting season, seeding progressed at a similar pace to the five-year average and reached 97% completion by Nov. 24. Seedings of 34.115 million acres were up 725,000 acres, or 2.2%, from 33.39 million acres in 2024 but were down 7% from 36.699 million acres in 2023, which was the peak planted area in the current decade, and down 27% from 46.781 million acres in 2008, the high mark in the current century. Versus the all-time high of 65.547 million acres in 1981, the 2025 area was down 48%.

The USDA’s by-class winter wheat plantings estimates indicated a larger acreage increase in the Central states than in the Plains. Hard red winter wheat seeded acreage in 2025 was estimated at 24 million acres, up 1% from 2024, while soft red winter wheat plantings were estimated at 6.44 million acres, up 6% from last year. White winter wheat seeded area was estimated at 3.64 million acres, up 3% from 2024.

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In the hard red winter states of the Southwest — Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas — 2025 crop winter wheat seedings were 20.52 million acres, down 30,000 acres, or 0.1%, from 2024 and compared with 22.48 million acres in 2023. The Southwest accounted for 60% of all winter wheat acreage in 2025 compared with 62% in 2024 and 61% in 2023.

Winter wheat plantings in the Central states — Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Missouri — were estimated at 2.96 million acres, up 290,000 acres, or 11%, from 2.67 million acres in 2024. The region accounted for 9% of total winter wheat plantings in 2025, up from 8% the year before.

Plantings in the 10 soft wheat states of the Southeast — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — were 2.095 million acres, up 70,000 acres, or 3%, from 2.025 million acres the year before. Plantings in the Southeast equated to 6% of total winter wheat acreage, unchanged from 2024.

In the white wheat states of the Pacific Northwest — Idaho, Oregon and Washington — winter wheat plantings for harvest in 2025 were forecast at 3.36 million acres, up 60,000 acres from the year before and once again accounting for about 10% of the winter wheat planted area.

States with the largest year-to-year changes in winter wheat plantings, by acres, begin with South Carolina, up 45,000 acres, or 56%, from last year. Other states with large percentage increases were Alabama (up 36%), California (24%), Georgia (31%), Michigan (38%), Montana (15%), Ohio (27%) and Virgina (33%). Plantings in three states — Arkansas, Tennessee and South Dakota — were tied for the largest year-over-year decrease, down 8%. Other notable acreage declines included Delaware (down 7%), Kentucky (7%), Missouri (6%) and North Carolina (7%).

Kansas winter wheat acreage was forecast at 7.4 million acres, down 200,000 acres, or 3%, from 7.6 million in 2024.

Kansas was forecast to have the largest winter wheat planted acreage in 2025, accounting for 22% of total US winter wheat plantings. Texas ranked second in plantings followed by Oklahoma. The fourth largest winter wheat area in 2025 was Montana, at 2.25 million acres, up 300,000 acres, or 15%. Colorado was the fifth-largest winter wheat state by area with 2025 crop plantings estimated at 2.1 million acres, unchanged from 2024.

Seedings of durum in Arizona and California for 2025 harvest tumbled to 75,000 acres, down 11% from 2024 but up 34% from 2023.

January 2025 wheat plantings_©SOSLAND PUBLISHING CO._e.jpgCredit: ©SOSLAND PUBLISHING CO.

Tags: wheat, USA