Ongoing water shortages contribute to a second straight year of planting reductions by California farmers. A Prospective Plantings report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week showed farmers planning a second straight year of acreage cuts for a number of field crops.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service surveyed 2,500 farmers in California and Nevada to ask about planting plans. The survey was conducted during the first two weeks of March.
The state’s most widely planted field crops—corn, winter wheat and rice—all showed acreage reductions, as did most other crops in the survey. Crops with anticipated declines in planted acres included:
- Barley—California farmers had already planted or said they intended to plant 70,000 acres of barley, down 12 percent from last year.
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)—Farmers said they intended to plant 8,600 acres of large chickpeas, 8 percent below the acreage seeded in 2014.
- Corn—The survey said California farmers expect to plant 430,000 acres of corn for all purposes in 2015, a 17 percent decrease.
- Cotton—Intentions were to plant 45,000 acres of upland cotton in 2015, down 21 percent from the acreage seeded in 2014. In addition, growers said they expected to seed 110,000 acres of American pima cotton, down 29 percent. Those expected cutbacks occurred after farmers had already reduced cotton plantings by about one-third in 2014 (see story).
- Hay, all types—Producers said they intend to harvest hay from 1.23 million acres, down 11 percent.
- Rice—California farmers said they intend to seed rice on 408,000 acres, 6 percent below the acreage seeded in 2014.
- Sunflowers—California farmers said they were expecting to plant 42,000 acres of sunflowers for oil, down 5 percent, and 2,000 acres of non-oil sunflowers, down by one-third from 2014.
- Sweet potatoes—Planting was expected to be 18,000 acres, down 5 percent.
- Wheat—The survey showed acreage seeded to winter wheat at 430,000 acres in California, down 7 percent.
The USDA report said planted acres might increase for several California crops, including dry edible beans, up 4 percent to 50,000 acres; oats, up 9 percent to 120,000 acres; sugar beets, up 3 percent to 25,000 acres; and durum wheat, up 71 percent to 60,000 acres.
At the national level, the Prospective Plantings report indicated farmers will plant more acres of soybeans but fewer acres of corn, compared to 2014.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the USDA raised its estimates on corn and soybean acreage from the numbers released at the annual USDA outlook forum in February.
Prospective planting estimates for corn increased from 89 million acres to 89.2 million. Soybean estimates increased from 83.5 million to 84.6 million acres.
"The increase in corn was a bit of a surprise," AFBF Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson said.
"It’s not too late for late acreage shifts," Anderson added. "So if corn is down, that affects soybean prices as well."
Other feedgrains, including grain sorghum, barley and oats, were all projected to be up from last year, nationwide. The combined increase for these three crops is almost 1.3 million acres. According to Farm Bureau, that almost completely offsets the projected year-to-year decline in corn acreage.
The national report projected all wheat acreage at 55.4 million acres, which is a little lower than the February estimate. Cotton acreage is also down for 2015, projected at 9.55 million acres. If realized, that would be a 13 percent decline in U.S. cotton plantings, compared to last year.