According to the Prospective Plantings Report put out by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Washington growers intend to plant 2.3 million acres of wheat in 2026, a number nearly unchanged from last year. Barley acreage is expected to rise slightly this year to 72,000 acres. Nationally, NASS projects record-low wheat acreage of 43.8 million acres, while barley is forecast slightly higher.
Washington wheat acreage overview
Total Wheat: 2.3 million acres, -1.1% year over year, -0.2% vs. 5-year average (2.3 million acres). Washington accounts for 5.3% of U.S. prospective wheat plantings.
Winter Wheat: 1.85 million acres, 0% year over year, +2.2% vs. 5-year average (1.81 million acres). Washington accounts for 5.7% of U.S. prospective winter wheat plantings.
Spring Wheat: 450,000 acres, -5.3% year over year, -9.1% vs. 5-year average (495,000 acres). Washington accounts for 4.8% of U.S. prospective spring wheat plantings.
National context
U.S. farmers intend to plant 43.8 million acres of wheat in 2026, down 3% from 2025, and, if realized, the lowest all-wheat planted area since records began in 1919.
That total includes:
- 32.4 million acres of winter wheat, down 2% from last year.
- 9.42 million acres of other spring wheat, down 6% from 2025 and the lowest since 1970.
- Of the spring wheat total, 8.78 million acres are expected to be hard red spring.
- Winter wheat acres are made up of about 23.1 million hard red winter, 5.79 million soft red winter, and 3.54 million white winter.
The report also noted that, if realized, California, Nebraska, and Virginia would post record-low wheat planted area, while North Dakota — the nation’s largest spring wheat-producing state — is expected to plant 4.7 million acres of spring wheat, down 8% from last year.
Washington barley acreage overview
- Acreage: 72,000 acres, +1.4% year over year, -11.6% vs. 5-year average (79,200 acres).
- Washington accounts for 2.9% of national barley acreage.
National Context
Producers intend to seed 2.35 million acres of barley for the 2026 crop year, up 2% from the previous year. In Montana, the largest barley state, acreage is expected to increase by 3% from last year. Record low acreage is expected in Utah.
Weather
Washington saw a generally warm winter, including early December flooding in western Washington, followed by a prolonged dry stretch and below-normal snowpack, raising concerns about spring and summer water supplies, streamflow, and wildfire risk. Notably, Washington ranked among the 10 warmest winters on record. Snowpack in parts of the region, including southern Washington, fell to less than 50% of normal by late January.
This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Wheat Life Magazine.
Jake Liening
Market Development Manager, Washington Grain Commission