May 10 USDA Crop Production Report - Winter Wheat/Hay Stocks

NEBRASKA WHEAT PRODUCTION FORECAST AND HAY STOCKS

Based on May 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2012 winter wheat crop is forecast at 59.7 million bushels, down 9 percent from last year’s crop and the smallest crop since 1954 due to fewer acres planted, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  Average yield is forecast at 47 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from last year and 6 bushels above the ten-year average.

Acreage to be harvested for wheat is estimated at 1.27 million acres, down 180,000 acres or 12 percent from last year and the smallest since 1917.  This would be 94 percent of the planted acres, below last year but equal to the ten-year average.  The April 29 wheat condition was rated 70 percent good to excellent, above both last year and average.  Crop development was about 2 weeks ahead of normal with heads starting to show.  

May 1 hay stocks of 1.1 million tons are down 20 percent from last year and 6 percent below the 10 year average.  

Nebraska Hay Stocks (tons)
Dec 2010 - 4,700,000;    -    May 2011 - 1,335,000
Dec 2011 - 4,275,000;    -    May 2012 - 1,070,000

Iowa Hay Stocks (tons)
Dec 2010 - 3,050,000;    -    May 2011 - 610,000   
Dec 2011 - 2,750,000;    -    May 2012 - 500,000






U.S. Winter Wheat Production Up 13 Percent from 2011

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.69 billion bushels, up 13 percent from 2011. The area expected to be harvested for grain or seed totals 35.6 million acres, up 10 percent from last year. Based on May 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 47.6 bushels per acre, up 1.4 bushels from last year.

Hard Red Winter, at 1.03 billion bushels, is up 32 percent from 2011. Soft Red Winter, at 428 million bushels, is down 6 percent from last year. White Winter is down 9 percent from last year and now totals 233 million bushels. Of this total, 14.1 million bushels are Hard White and 219 million bushels are Soft White.