Ohio farmers to plant less acres in 2001

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – The March 1 acreage survey indicates Ohio farmers plan to plant less total acreage than in 2000. If forecasts hold true, farmers will plant approximately 90,000 fewer acres of major crops this year.

As planting nears, Ohio growers are planning on planting fewer corn acres than last year, 3.35 million acres, 6 percent below the 2000 crop. Soybean planting intentions at 4.65 million acres are up 4 percent, or 200,000 acres from the previous year.

Wheat seedings at 1 million acres are down 10,000 acres from December’s forecast and 120,000 acres below the 2000 crop year. Ohio farmers plan to plant 100,000 acres of oats, down 10,000 from last year.

Hay acreage is up.

All hay acreage to be harvested is expected to total 1.44 million acres, up 3 percent from 2000. Tobacco intentions at 7,500 acres, are unchanged from last year’s acres. Barley acreage for the 2001 crop is estimated at 11,000 acres, down 21 percent from the 14,000 acres last year. Sugarbeet plantings are expected to be down 17 percent from last year to a total of 1,000 acres planted.

U.S. corn growers intend to plant 76.7 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2001, down 4 percent from 2000, and down 1 percent from 1999. Plantings are down throughout the Corn Belt because of the high cost of inputs and low price prospects.

Largest planting ever.

Soybean producers in the nation intend to plant 76.7 million acres in 2001, up 3 percent from last year. If realized, this will be the largest planted area for soybeans on record. Of the 31 soybean producing states, producers in 22 states intend to plant more acres this year, while producers in eight states intend to plant fewer acres than in 2000. Oklahoma is expecting no change from the previous year.

All wheat planted area is expected to total 60.3 million acres in 2001. This is down 4 percent from 2000 and the lowest level since 1973. Winter wheat planted area for the 2001 crop is 41.3 million acres, down 5 percent from 2000.