Wednesday, May 11, 2011

US wheat sowings hit low, while corn seedings fly

by Agrimoney.com

Spring wheat planting slowed to its weakest pace since at least the early 1990s in the US, and to a trickle in Canada too, even as America's corn farmers – in one week - sowed an area equivalent to Denmark and Switzerland combined.
Just 22% of US spring wheat was in the ground as of Sunday thanks to the wet conditions which continue to dog northern areas. In North Dakota, the main spring wheat state, just 7% was seeded compared with an average of more than one-half by now.
The overall figure compared with 61% typically sown at this time, and was the lowest since at least 1994, the earliest year for which readily available US Department of Agriculture data are available.
Indeed, it fell behind the pace of 1997, which has been reported as setting a record slow pace, and when yields fell 15% to 29.9 bushels per acre.
In 1995, another slow year for plantings, the yield ended higher, at 32.2 bushels per acre, but below the 1990s average of more than 34 bushels per acre.
Late snows
The pace was even slower north of the border, where Canadian farmers have planted 3% of their overall spring crops, compared with 40% by now, following snowfalls of up to 25cm, or 10 inches, on some areas two weekends ago. On farms where moisture fell as rain, precipitation reached 5.0cm.
Rain and "moderate temperatures have combined to stymie the general commencement of seeding across the Prairies", the board said, adding that the poor sowing conditions were affecting "all western Canadian growing regions".
However, while weather looks set to remain poor for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, "a high pressure system may keep Alberta sunny throughout the week, which could prompt widespread and rapid seeding in that province".
'Second fastest on record'
The fate of spring wheat farmers contrasted with that of corn growers who, following a drier spell in much of the Corn Belt, lifting sowings to 40% of their intended crop as of Sunday.
The 27% of the crop sown in one week equates to an area of nearly 25m acres, or nearly 39,000 square miles – bigger than Hungary or South Korea.
The progress was well above trade estimates of seedings reaching aruond one-third complete, and saw farmers play catch up towards average rates.
"Iowa farmers made the most progress, jumping from 8% to 69% complete, the second fastest weekly pace behind 64% completed in one week in 1992," Kim Rugel at Benson Quinn Commodities said.
East vs west
And the progress was achieved despite wet weather continuing to hamper progress in eastern areas, with farmers in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio having less than 5%of their corn in the ground, compared with one-half typically by now.
"What is remarkable about this week's progress is that it was accomplished with basically no participation by eastern Corn Belt states," Steve Meyer at Paragon Economics said.
"Flying into Detroit International on Monday afternoon, it did not appear that eastern Michigan would catch up any time soon. There was a lot of water standing in fields."
The eastern Corn Belt is due to receive "periodic rain events" throughout this week, Benson Quinn added.
In the six-to-10 day forecast, weather models indicate "scattered showers with cool temperatures over the eastern Corn Belt, while the western Corn Belt and Plains stay dry", weather service WxRisk.com said.

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