The latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Production report is out. According to the report, winter wheat production in Wisconsin is forecast at 15.3 million bushels, 33 percent above last year’s 11.6 million bushels. Based on conditions as of May 1, the State’s winter wheat yield is forecast at 73 bushels per acre, an increase of 5 bushels per acre from last year.
Wisconsin winter wheat growers intend to harvest 210,000 acres for grain, up 24 percent from 2017.
Then when looking at winter wheat production in the entire United States, it is forecast at 1.19 billion bushels, down 6 percent from 2017. Then as of May 1, the United States yield is forecast at 48.1 bushels per acre, down 2.1 bushels from last year’s average yield of 50.2 bushels per acre.
These estimates are based on May 1 conditions.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Production report, also reported that hay stored on Wisconsin farms as of May 1, 2018, is estimated at 480,000 tons, a decrease of 41 percent from May 1, 2017. Disappearance from Dec 1, 2017, through May 1, 2018, totaled 2.17 million tons, compared with 2.38 million tons for the same period a year earlier.
Then all hay stored on United States farms on May 1, 2018, totaled 15.7 million tons, down 36 percent from a year ago. Disappearance from December 1, 2017 – May 1, 2018, totaled 70.6 million tons, compared with 71.4 million tons for the same period a year earlier.
The lower production in 2017, coupled with a higher cattle inventory as of January 1, 2018, has reduced the available hay stocks on May 1, 2018, compared to the same time last year. Also the April snow in the Northern Plains, and dry pasture conditions stretching from the Southwest to the Southern Plains, have extended supplemental feeding, further reducing available hay stocks.
For the full USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Production report visit, www.nass.usda.gov
