N.D.’s winter wheat record bigger than earlier thought

North Dakota’s record winter wheat crop will be even larger than projected, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday.

The USDA’s agricultural statistics office in Fargo said the crop planted in September will reap 35.3 million bushels next month, up 2 percent from its May forecast and 154 percent above 2011 production.

That’s a record by far; the previous record production was 26.2 million bushels in 2009.

Average yields will be 49 bushels an acre, up 1 bushel from its May projection, USDA. The record winter wheat yield was 55 bushels in 2010.

The wet and late spring last year kept many crop acres unplanted across North Dakota, making winter wheat, planted in September, a better-than-normal opportunity. The mild winter meant the crop came through in good shape.

USDA left its projected harvested acres at the May figure of 720,000, also a North Dakota record, and 31 percent above the previous record of 550,000 acres set in 1984 and 2008.

Winter wheat is a minor crop in North Dakota, where spring wheat takes up 6 million to 7 million acres every year, producing 200 million to 300 million bushels; durum wheat production also outstrips winter wheat production typically.

Nationally, winter wheat production will be 1.68 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the May 1 forecast, USDA said.

Stephen J. Lee is a reporter

at the Grand Forks Herald, which is owned by Forum

Communications Co.

Tags: news, crops