U.S. Barley Crop Slips 2%

WASHINGTON - Jan 10/14 - SNS -- Barley production is estimated at 215 million bushels, down 2% from 2012, according to the USDA's final production estimates for the 2013 crop.

Average yield per acre, at 71.7 bushels, is up 3.8 bushels from the previous year. Producers seeded 3.48 million acres in 2013, down 4% from last year. Harvested area, at 3.00 million acres, is down 8% from 2012.

By Mid-April, barley seeding was ahead of normal in the Pacific Northwest, while cool weather and poor field conditions delayed planting in Minnesota and North Dakota. By the end of April, barley planting was 30% complete, 32 percentage points behind 2012 and 7 percentage points behind the 5-year average. By mid-May, high winds and drier weather helped growers in Minnesota and North Dakota catch up on planting progress.

By August 11, barley producers had harvested 17% of this year's crop, 34 percentage points behind last year and 4 percentage points behind the 5-year average. Harvest advanced most rapidly in Idaho and Montana. By the end of August, 76% of the Nation's barley crop was harvested, 14 percentage points behind last year but 5 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average.