America can expect fewer amber waves of grain in the coming months. According to a new Bloomberg report, U.S. winter wheat acres are projected to fall to their lowest level since 1909 this season. The forecast of 31.118 million planted acres would be down from 31.159 million acres last year.
There are several factors prompting farmers to reduce their wheat planting. "One of the main issues is oversupply of wheat," says Darby Campsey, director of communications and producer relations at the Texas Wheat Producers. "On a global level we do have an abundance of wheat and that has affected wheat prices."
International trade issues are also having an impact. "We had some tariffs placed on our wheat, and some countries have slowed or completely shut off their imports of U.S. wheat because of the uncertainty of what kind of trade deal will be negotiated," says Campsey.
Another issue for wheat producers---especially in Texas---is the always unpredictable weather, with another wild winter on the way. "We have producers all over the state dealing with different weather issues, and that's definitely going to impact how many wheat acres are planted," says Campsey.
As for how the reduced U.S. wheat crop will affect consumers, Campsey has good news. "We don't expect consumers to see higher prices at the grocery store for any common wheat products," she tells KTRH. "Where we will see the most impact is on the farmers' side. Economically speaking, they may not be able to have as much of an impact on their local communities, and on the U.S. economy in general."