(CNS Canada) — Data released today from the United States National Agricultural Statistics Service showed large increases in spring wheat and durum production this year.
Spring wheat production in the country, not including durum, is forecast at 614 million bushels, up 48 percent from 2017. Of that, 584 million bu., or 95 percent of production, is expected to come in hard red spring wheat.
Spring wheat harvested area is expected to increase to 12.9 million acres, unchanged from June’s acreage report, but that’s still 27 per cent higher than last year.
NASS estimates this year’s spring wheat yield to come in at a record high at 47.6 bushels per acre, an increase of 6.6 bu./ac from last year.
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Durum production is estimated to reach 74.9 million bu. this year, a 36 percent increase from 2017. The forecast predicts yields at 40.7 bu./ac., up 15 bu. from last year. Total harvested acreage for durum is estimated at 1.84 million acres, 14 per cent less than 2017, but unchanged from the June estimates.
Meanwhile, U.S. winter wheat production is expected to remain relatively stable at 1.19 billion bu., which is down six percent from last year and one percent from the June forecast. The report estimates yield at 48 bu./ac. down 2.2 bu. from last year’s average yield of 50.2 bu./ac.
NASS estimates total winter wheat acres to be harvested this year at 24.8 million acres, down two percent from last year’s acreage.
Hard red winter wheat production is estimated at 657 million bu., soft red winter wheat is estimated at 303 million bu., white winter wheat is estimated at 232 million bu.
