Flooding in northern US states may cut wheat crop; boost soy

North Dakota and Minnesota girded for the worst flooding in years, which could prompt farmers to cut spring wheat plantings by as much as 500,000 acres in the four main wheat-producing US states.

 

Fargo, North Dakota largest city, was expecting a 41-foot crest on the Red River by Saturday (Mar 28) that would break a 112-year-old record.

 

Experts said farmers still able to seed a crop will look hard at soy, which can be planted as late as early June.

 

 

Farmer-run Commission marketing director Jim Peterson said that spring wheat reduction may now double, with another 500,000 former wheat acres planted instead with later-seeding crops like soy, sunflowers and dry beans, or not planted at all.

 

The US Agriculture Department (USDA) has predicted that at least 1 million acres in North Dakota will go un-seeded this spring.

 

Peterson said wheat planting in North Dakota generally needs to start by mid-April, while soy seeding can wait an extra month.

 

He explained that corn planting usually begins by May 5, but there are still roughly 400,000 acres not harvested in North Dakota and Minnesota, creating another delay for those farmers seeding new crop, in which some farmers may switch to corn that has a shorter growing season.

 

Analyst Tim Hanagan said that March through May is expected to be wetter and cooler than last year, adding that it makes sense for farmers in the northern tier of states to switch to soy because of the supply and demand ratio and economics.

 

Wheat has been a popular crop choice in the northern half of North Dakota, with corn and soy dominating the south.

 

The National Weather Service was predicting less than an inch of snow for Fargo on Thursday (Mar 26), but no precipitation for the next four days.