Slight uptick in winter wheat seedings

WASHINGTON — Indiana and Illinois winter wheat acreage increased slightly from last year.

Winter wheat seedings in Indiana grew from 310,000 acres in 2024 to 330,000 this year. The state planted 405,000 acres of winter wheat in 2023.

Illinois’ winter wheat acreage increased from 770,000 last year to 790,000 in 2025 after hitting 840,000 acres in 2023.

The nationwide winter wheat seeded area for 2025 is expected to total 34.115 million acres, up 2% from last year’s 33.39 million and below the 36.699 million two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hard red winter wheat seeded area is expected to total 24 million acres, up 1% from 2024. The largest increases in planted acreage are estimated in Montana and Texas — up 15% and 5%, respectively — while Kansas is estimated to have a 3% decrease.

Soft red winter wheat seeded area totals 6.44 million acres, 6% higher than last year. Compared with 2024, the largest acreage increases are expected in Michigan and Ohio — up 38% and 27%, respectively.

The largest acreage decreases are expected in Kentucky, down 7%, and Missouri, down 6%.

White winter wheat seeded area totals 3.64 million acres, up 3% from 2024. No states in the white winter growing region are expecting decreased acreage.