Jul 01, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its annual June acreage report, highlighting planting and harvesting estimates for the 2021 crop year.
According to NASS, area planted to rice in 2021 is expected to total 2.66 million acres, down 12 percent from 2020. Area for harvest is forecast at 2.62 million acres, down 12 percent from last year.
Long grain rice planted area decreased 11 percent from last year. Arkansas, the largest long grain rice-producing State, estimates a 15 percent decrease in planted acreage compared to last year.
Nationally, medium grain acres decreased by 17 percent from 2020. California, the largest medium and short grain-producing state, decreased medium grain acres by 19 percent in 2021. Short grain area, estimated at 36,000 acres nationally, is down 12 percent, or 5,000 acres, compared to the 2020 planted acres.
As of June 20, seventy-four percent of the rice acreage was rated in good to excellent condition compared with seventy-three percent rated in these two categories at the same time last year.