Author: United States Department of Agriculture Contributions: Sam Anderson For the first time in two years, Montana is not in an extreme drought ! March 9th 2021 was the last
The last day of March is considered a holiday in our office as the awaited USDA prospective planting numbers are released. What will the planted acres be? Will Montana farmers plant more wheat and barley? Will the Bobcats beat Kansas State in the tournament?
AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY: The month of February brought below zero temperatures and snowy weather with varying
precipitation totals to the State of Montana, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service, USDA.
The Montana Wheat & Barley Committee collects hundreds of spring wheat samples throughout the state. Those samples get graded, flour tested and dough testing. Our international markets each year are eager for the results.
The results are separated into five distinct growing regions arranged by county. Each region has an approximate share of the total U.S production. In 2022 Montana’s regions A and B make up 9% the U.S spring wheat crop.
January 12th, 2023, the winter wheat seedings and grain stocks report was released. The market was anticipating a bump in US seeded acres. The report showed an 11% increase in U.S winter wheat acres over last year. 37 million acres (14.9 million hectares) are reported in the ground for 2023 crop versus 33.2 million acres (13.4 million hectares) in 2022.
Tucked away in the National Agricultural Statistics Service office in Helena Montana, current director Eric Sommer shared with me Montana agriculture statistics booklets for the 1954 crop. Called Montana Grains, wheat protein, barley and oat varieties and disposition. In 1954, John Hugo Aronson was Montana’s Governor and Albert H. Kruse was the Montana Department of Agriculture’s Commissioner.
Winter wheat conditions improved once again as National Agricultural Statistic Service enumerators drive out to a field of snow and say… “Oh that looks good!” or if a field looks a little wind blown with minimal snow cover they might say “Looks fair!”
According to National Agricultural Statistics Service Montana field office: A cold front impacted Montana this week, bringing below average temperatures and scattered snow showers, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
Producers in the Treasure state are pulling in their seeders, storing away their Halloween costumes and winterizing their tractors. Winter offers a time of grain deliveries, recreation, family time and preparation for the 2023 crop.
Montana experienced another week of above average temperatures and minimal rainfall, according
to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3024
300 Park Dr. S., Suite 104
Great Falls, MT 59403-3024
Phone: (406) 761-7732
Fax: (406) 761-7851
Email: wbc@mt.gov
The Montana Wheat & Barley Committee promotes local research and develops trade markets around the world.