Peanut acreage expected to be reduced 2% according to producer surveys.
According to the Prospective Plantings report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, peanut producers intend to plant 1.63 million acres in 2021, down 2% from 2020 but 13% percent above 2019.
In Georgia, expected planted area is down 2% or 20,000 acres from 2020. Decreases of 20,000 acres from a year ago are also expected in South Carolina and Texas. A decrease of 1,000 acres is expected in Virginia.
States with a three-year trend of increasing acreage include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico and North Carolina. Oklahoma maintained the same acreage for 2019 and 2020 and is expecting an increase of 2,000 acres in 2021.
Rotation Crops
Despite the initial excitement the increase in cotton prices brought to the table, producers intend to plant 1% less than 2020. However, increases are expected in most peanut-producing states, which is good for rotations. Farmers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas indicate an increase in cotton acreage.
Total cotton acreage is estimated at 12 million acres in 2021. Upland area is expected to total 11.9 million acres, and American Pima is expected to total 142,000 acres, down 30% from 2020. The largest increase in acres is expected in Missouri. If realized, Upland cotton planted area in California, at 25,000 acres, will be a record low.
Corn, another peanut rotation partner, is estimated at 91.1 million acres for 2021, up less than 1% from last year. Increases are expected from producers in several peanut states, including Mississippi, up 130,000 acres. Decreases in acreage are expected in more of the traditional Corn Belt states.
Soybeans And Wheat
Soybean growers intend to plant 87.6 million acres in 2021, up 5% from last year. If realized, this will be the third highest planted acreage on record. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be up or unchanged in 23 of the 29 states estimated.
All wheat planted area for 2021 is estimated at 46.4 million acres, up 5% from 2020. This represents the fourth lowest all-wheat planted area since records began in 1919. Winter wheat planted area, at 33.1 million acres, is up 3% from the previous estimate and up 9% from last year. This is the seventh lowest planted acreage on record. Area planted to spring wheat for 2021 is expected to total 11.7 million acres, down 4% from 2020. Durum wheat is expected to total 1.54 million acres for 2021, down 9% from last year.
