Winter Wheat Production Increases By 2% From June

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.52 billion bushels, up 2% from last month but down 18% from 2008. The U.S. yield is forecast at 43.8 bushels per acre, down 0.1 bushel from last month and down 3.4 bushels from last year. The area expected to be harvested for grain totals 34.8 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2009 but down 12% from last year.

Hard Red Winter, at 903 million bushels, is up 4% from a month ago. Soft Red Winter, at 414 million bushels, is down slightly from the last forecast. White Winter is down slightly from last month and now totals 208 million bushels. Of this total, 22.4 million bushels are Hard White and 186 million bushels are Soft White.

Durum wheat production is forecast at 81.2 million bushels, down 4% from 2008. The U.S. yield is forecast at 33.1 bushels per acre, 0.3 bushel above last year. Expected area to be harvested for grain totals 2.45 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2009 but down 5% from last year.

Other Spring wheat production is forecast at 506 million bushels, 7% below 2008. The expected area to be harvested for grain totals 13.2 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2009 but down 2% from last year. The U.S. yield is forecast at 38.3 bushels per acre, down 2.2 bushels from 2008. Of the total production, 470 million bushels are Hard Red Spring wheat; down 8% from 2008.