The USDA released their 2023 Small Grains Summary today with the news about Montana’s high barley production raising eyebrows. Highlights from USDA, focused on Montana, are here:
MONTANA HIGHLIGHTS
All wheat production in Montana, estimated at 186.71 million bushels, is up 34 percent from 2022, according to the September 1
Agricultural Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. All wheat
yield was 37.2 bushels per acre, up 8.9 bushels from a year ago.
Winter wheat producers seeded 1.85 million acres in the fall of 2022 for harvest in 2023, down from the 2.05 million acres seeded for
the previous year’s crop. Area harvested for grain decreased 120,000 acres from last year to 1.68 million acres in 2023. Winter wheat
production is estimated at 85.68 million bushels, up 44 percent from the 59.40 million-bushel crop produced last year. Winter wheat
yield, at 51.0 bushels per acre, is up 18.0 bushels from last year. This equals the record high yield established in 2020.
Spring wheat seedings, at 2.70 million acres, are unchanged from last year. Area harvested totaled 2.67 million acres, up from
2.44 million acres harvested last year. Spring wheat production is estimated at 80.10 million bushels, up 31 percent from the
61.00-million-bushel crop produced last year. Spring wheat yield, at 30.0 bushels per acre, is up 5.0 bushels from last year.
Durum wheat seedings, at 705,000 acres, are down 5,000 acres from last year. Harvested area totaled 675,000 acres, unchanged from
the acreage harvested last year. Durum wheat production is estimated at 20.93 million bushels, up 11 percent from the
18.90-million-bushel crop produced last year. Durum wheat yield, at 31.0 bushels per acre, is up 3.0 bushels from last year.
Oat seedings in Montana totaled 65,000 acres, down 20,000 acres from last year. Producers harvested 22,000 acres for grain or seed,
down 2,000 acres from 2022. Oat production totaled 814,000 bushels in 2023, down 11 percent from last year. Oat yield, at 37.0 bushels
per acre, is down 1.0 bushel from the previous year.
Montana barley producers seeded 1.19 million acres in 2023, up 150,000 acres or 14 percent from last year. This represents the largest
barley seeded area in Montana since 2000. Harvested area, at 1.02 acres, is up 165,000 acres from 2022. This represents the largest
harvested area in Montana since 1998. Barley yield, at 49.0 bushels per acre, is up 8.0 bushels from last year. Barley production is
estimated at 49.74 million bushels, up 43 percent from the 34.85 million bushel crop produced in 2022.
It is an indication of where the markets could be headed, whether bullish or bearish.
LEE dahlman, mwbc director