U.S. barley acreage estimates up 2%; holding steady across Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their prospective plantings and grain stocks reports today which highlighted a slight uptick in barley acreage. Barley stocks in all positions are down 10% from this time last year.
You can access both reports at the AMBA website.
Prospective plantings:
Producers intend to seed 2.35 million acres of barley for the 2026 crop year, up 2 percent from the previous year. In Montana, the largest barley State, acreage is expected to increase by 3 percent from last year. Record low acreage is expected in Utah.
Stocks:
Barley stocks in all positions on March 1, 2026 totaled 92.9 million bushels, down 10 percent from March 1, 2025. On-farm stocks are estimated at 42.6 million bushels, 4 percent below a year ago. Off-farm stocks, at 50.3 million bushels, are 14 percent below March 2025. The December 2025 - February 2026 indicated disappearance totaled 27.9 million bushels, 94 percent above the same period a year earlier.
