Many wheat farmers facing low prices have gone with other crops, including chickpeas and lentils, in hopes of turning a profit.
This year farmers nationwide planted 45.7 million acres of wheat, the fewest amount since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began keeping records in 1919, and it comes after a 2016 crop that was the least profitable in 30 years. North Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska are among the states with significantly fewer wheat acres.
The USDA says acres planted in chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are up nearly 86 percent from last year, while lentils reached a U.S.-record 1.02 million acres planted this year. Chickpeas are the main ingredient in hummus. Lentils are increasingly used in cereal and pasta as a way to boost protein and fiber.
A farmer in southwest North Dakota, for example, could expect to earn $105 an acre on small chickpeas and around 89 dollars an acre planting lentils this year, according to data compiled by North Dakota State University. The same farmer would lose $21 an acre on winter wheat and 4 dollars an acre on spring wheat. (AP)
