KANSAS CITY — The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the US Department of Agriculture estimated area planted to winter wheat for harvest in 2022 at 34,397,000 acres, up 749,000 acres, or 2.2%, from 33,648,000 acres in 2021 and compared with 30,450,000 acres in 2020. The estimate contained in the annual Winter Wheat and Canola Seedings report issued Jan. 12 compared with the average of pre-report trade estimates at 34,255,000 acres. 

The all-winter wheat area planted for harvest this year was the tenth smallest on record but would be the largest seeded area since 36,149,000 acres in 2016. All-winter wheat seedings were lower from 2017 to 2021, and in 1909, 1910, 1911 and 1913.

Of the all-winter wheat planted area, 23.8 million acres were estimated to have been planted to hard red winter wheat, up 1% from 23.5 million acres in 2021.

“Planted acreage is up from last year across most of the growing region,” NASS said. “The largest increases in planted acreage are estimated in Kansas and Texas, while the largest decreases are estimated in Colorado and New Mexico.”

The USDA estimated the 2022 soft red wheat planted area at 7.07 million acres, 6% larger than the 2021 planted area at 6.65 million acres.

“Compared with last year, the largest acreage increases are expected in Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio, while the largest acreage decreases are expected in Maryland and Michigan,” NASS explained.

The estimated white winter area in 2022 was 3.56 million acres, up 2% from 2021.

The NASS said, “Planting in Idaho and Washington was ahead of the five-year average throughout most of the planting process. Seeding was virtually complete in the region by early November.”

NASS estimated durum seedings in Arizona and California for harvest this year at a combined 90,000 acres, up 15% from 2021 and up 20% from 2020.