STAT Communications Ag Market News

Smaller Spring Wheat Crop

WASHINGTON - Jul 12/17 - SNS -- Production of spring wheat other than durum is forecast at 423 million bushels, down 21% from last year, according to the latest USDA crop forecast.

The United States yield is forecast at 40.3 bushels per acre, down 6.9 bushels from 2016. Of the total production, 385 million bushels are Hard Red Spring wheat, down 22% from last year. Area harvested for grain is expected to total 10.5 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2017, but down 7% from last year.

Due to a wet spring in some parts of the spring wheat growing area, the season started out behind the normal pace but quickly caught up. In the six major producing States, 59% of the crop was at or beyond the heading stage as of July 2, twelve percentage points behind last year but 5 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average.

Compared with last year, yield decreases are expected in all States except Minnesota. If realized, the forecasted yield in Minnesota will be a record high. As of July 2, 37% of the other spring wheat crop was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 72% at the same time last year.

Other Spring Wheat Area Harvested, Yield, and Production - States and
United States: 2016 and
Forecasted July 1, 2017
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :   Area harvested    :   Yield per acre    :     Production
      State     :-----------------------------------------------------------------
                :   2016   :   2017   :   2016   :   2017   :   2016   :   2017
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :  -- 1,000 acres --      --- bushels ---        1,000 bushels
                :
Idaho ..........:     395        415      87.0       81.0      34,365     33,615
Minnesota ......:   1,260      1,270      59.0       61.0      74,340     77,470
Montana ........:   2,110      2,120      36.0       26.0      75,960     55,120
North Dakota ...:   5,850      5,160      46.0       38.0     269,100    196,080
Oregon .........:      87         63      51.0       45.0       4,437      2,835
South Dakota ...:   1,050        940      45.0       34.0      47,250     31,960
Washington .....:     530        505      51.0       48.0      27,030     24,240
                :
Other States 1/ :      21         24      73.6       65.0       1,545      1,560
                :
United States ..:  11,303     10,497      47.2       40.3     534,027    422,880
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Other States include Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Individual State level
   estimates will be published in the "Small Grains 2017 Summary."

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