KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE Fact Finders For Agriculture	PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS & GRAIN STOCKS	Kansas Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture PO Box 3534 Topeka, Kansas 66601-3534 Phone: 785-233-2230
Released: March 30, 2001

PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS

Kansas growers expect to plant 19.9 million acres to the four major crops (wheat, sorghum, corn, and soybeans), up 1 percent from 2000. Wheat seeded in the fall of 2000 totaled 9.90 million acres, unchanged from the December forecast and up 1 percent from the previous year.

Sorghum acreage expected to be planted, at 3.60 million acres, is up 3 percent from a year ago. Corn planting intentions totaled 3.40 million, down 1 percent from the 2000 acreage. Soybean planted acreage is expected to be 3.00 million acres, up 2 percent from last year. Oat seedings are expected to be down 9 percent from 2000 at 100,000 acres. Barley seedings, at 5,000 acres, are down from the 8,000 acres planted in 2000.

Sunflower acreage to be planted, at 320,000 acres, is up 45 percent from last year. Dry beans, at 15,000 acres, are down 17 percent from the previous year. All hay for harvest, at 2.90 million acres, is up 4 percent from 2000. Cotton is expected to be planted on 44,000 acres, up 4,000 acres from last year.

GRAIN STOCKS

Kansas wheat stocks in all positions totaled 215.9 million bushels on March 1, down 21 percent from December 2000 and 6 percent from last March. Wheat stored in off-farm locations (mills, elevators, warehouses, and processors) totaled 194.9 million bushels and accounted for 90 percent of the total. On-farm stocks totaled 21.0 million bushels, compared with 25.0 million bushels last March.

Sorghum grain in all positions totaled 80.8 million bushels, down 37 percent from December 2000 and 22 percent below a year ago. Off-farm stocks accounted for 61.8 million bushels and on-farm stocks 19.0 million bushels.

Kansas corn stocks in all locations, at 188.7 million bushels, were down 29 percent from December but 3 percent above last March's stocks. Off-farm stocks were 128.7 million bushels, which accounted for 68 percent of the total corn stocks. On-farm stocks, at 60.0 million bushels, were up slightly from the 2000 March stocks.

Off-farm oat stocks totaled 439,000 bushels, down 19 percent from December and 28 percent below March 2000. On-farm stocks are no longer published separately for Kansas.

Kansas soybeans in all locations totaled 35.3 million bushels, down 27 percent from December and 21 percent below the 2000 March stocks. Off-farm stocks, at 26.3 million bushels, were down 11 percent from last year and accounted for 75 percent of the total soybean stocks. On-farm stocks, at 9.0 million bushels, were down 40 percent from last year.