Drought hits top wheat states

WASHINGTON — Total U.S. winter wheat production estimates were reduced to its lowest since 1965 as a severe drought continues in the Plains.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reduced its U.S. all winter wheat production estimate by 2% from last month to 1.03 billion bushels, 27% lower than last year.

As of June 1, the U.S. yield average is forecast at 46.8 bushels per acre, down 0.8 from last month and 8.1 bushels lower than the 2025 yield.

Hard red winter wheat production in the Plains is projected at 497 million bushels, 3% lower than last month’s estimate and a nearly 62% drop from last year’s 804.443 million bushels. If realized, hard red winter wheat production would be the lowest since 1957.

The USDA estimates Kansas, the top hard red winter wheat-producing state, is projected to average 35 bushels per acre, down from last year’s 51. Total production is estimated at 203 million bushels compared to 346.8 million a year ago. Harvested acres fell from 6.8 million last year to 5.8 million this year.

Oklahoma’s hard red winter wheat production is projected at 64.4 million bushels, down from last year 106.4 million, with an average yield of 28 bushels per acre, 10 less than 2025. Harvested acres are estimated at 2.3 million, 500,000 below last year.

Soft red winter, at 300 million bushels, is down less than 1% from the May forecast. White winter, at 233 million bushels, is up less than 1% from last month.

Of the white winter production, 7.80 million bushels are hard white and 225 million bushels are soft white.

‘I’ States

USDA increased Illinois’ projected average yield by 2 bushels from last month to 86 bushels per acre, 2 lower than in 2025. The 620,000 harvested acres is estimated to produce 53.32 million bushels, compared to 61.6 million bushels last year from 700,000 acres.

Indiana’s winter wheat yield is projected to average 87 bushels per acre, up 2 from the May prediction and 2 below 2025. USDA has harvested acres at 230,000 for the production of 20.01 million bushels. Last year, Indiana farmers harvested 240,000 wheat acres, hauling in 21.36 million bushels.