March 29, 2024

Slight increase in winter wheat production

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture slightly increased its winter wheat production forecast and also updated the annual crop summary to include recently harvested corn and soybeans in the Northern Plains.

U.S. winter wheat production is forecast at 1.27 billion bushels, up 1% from the May 1 forecast, but down 3% from 2019.

As of June 1, the nation’s yield is forecast at 52.1 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushel from last month, but down 1.5 bushels from last year’s average yield of 53.6 bushels per acre.

USDA increased Illinois’ winter wheat average yield by a bushel from last month to 73 bushels per acre after averaging 67 in 2019. Harvested area of 530,000 acres is 20,000 lower than the previous year and projected to produce 38.69 million bushels.

Indiana’s average winter wheat yield estimate was reduced from 74 bushels per acre last month to 71 this month compared to 62 bushels per acre in 2019. USDA plugged in harvested area of 270,000 acres, 10,000 higher than in 2019, and is expected to produce 19.17 million bushels.

As of May 31, 51% of the winter wheat acreage in the 18 major producing states was rated in good to excellent condition, 13% lower than at the same time last year.

Nationally, 77% of the winter wheat crop was headed by May 31, 4% lower than the five-year average pace. If realized, the 2020 U.S. winter wheat yield will be the third highest on record.

Late Harvest

The June 11 report also included adjustments in the 2019 yield averages, as well as changes in North Dakota’s corn and soybean production after the crop was harvested when conditions were finally fit.

The 2019-2020 U.S. corn crop was reduced by 46 million bushels that includes a 10% cut in North Dakota where the yield average was reduced from 141 bushels per acre in the annual summary in January to 131 bushels per acre. The 2019 national yield average, which was 168 bushels per acre in January and 167.8 last month, was lowered to 167.4 in this report.

North Dakota’s average soybean yield was reduced by a half bushel from the annual summary to 31.5 bushels per acre, and the nation’s production of 3.55 billion bushels in 2019 is down slightly from the crop production summary issued in January. The average U.S. yield was unchanged at 47.4 bushels per acre last year.