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PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS AND GRAIN STOCKS

KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE
Kansas Department of Agriculture
PO Box 3534
Topeka, KS 66601-3534
Phone: 785-233-2230

PRESS RELEASE

Released: March 31, 2004


PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS

Kansas growers expect to plant 19.0 million acres to the four major crops (wheat, sorghum, corn, and soybeans), down 2 percent from 2003. Wheat seeded in the fall of 2003 totaled 9.90 million acres, unchanged from the December forecast but down 5 percent from the previous year.

Sorghum acreage expected to be planted, at 3.40 million acres, is down 4 percent from a year ago. Corn planting intentions totaled 3.00 million, up 3 percent from the 2003 acreage. Soybean planted acreage is expected to be 2.70 million acres, up 4 percent from last year. Oat seedings are expected to be down 7 percent from 2003 at 130,000 acres. Barley seedings, at 10,000 acres, are up from the 9,000 acres planted in 2003.

Sunflower acreage to be planted, at 190,000 acres, is down 2 percent from last year. Oil-type varieties account for 170,000 of the sunflower acreage while non-oil, or confectionary, varieties make up the balance of 20,000 acres. Dry beans, at 6,000 acres, are down 6,000 acres from the previous year. All hay for harvest, at 3.20 million acres, is down 50,000 acres from 2003. Cotton is expected to be planted on 130,000 acres, up 40,000 acres from last year.


GRAIN STOCKS

Kansas wheat stocks in all positions totaled 167.6 million bushels on March 1, down 39 percent from December 2003 but 29 percent more than last March. Wheat stored in off- farm locations (mills, elevators, warehouses, and processors) totaled 154.6 million bushels and accounted for 92 percent of the total. On-farm stocks totaled 13.0 million bushels, the same as last March.

Sorghum grain in all positions totaled 75.8 million bushels, down 30 percent from December 2003 and 12 percent below a year ago. Off-farm stocks accounted for 63.8 million bushels and on-farm stocks 12.0 million bushels.

Kansas corn stocks in all locations, at 132.9 million bushels, were down 34 percent from

December and 15 percent below last March. Off-farm stocks were 86.9 million bushels, which accounted for 65 percent of the total corn stocks. On-farm stocks, at 46.0 million bushels, were down 12 percent from the 2003 March stocks.

Kansas soybeans in all locations totaled 29.2 million bushels, down 36 percent from December and 14 percent below the 2003 March stocks. Off-farm stocks, at 23.5 million bushels, were up 2 percent from last year and accounted for 80 percent of the total soybean stocks. On-farm stocks, at 5.7 million bushels, were down from 11.0 million last year.

Off-farm oat stocks totaled 710,000 bushels, down 25 percent from December and 3 percent below March 2003. Stocks of barley in off-farm facilities totaled 30,000 bushels, down from the 44,000 bushels in December and the 59,000 bushels last March.

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