WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Dec. 31 released its final estimates for 2002-07 field crops production. The U.S.D.A. made only minor changes to its previous estimates of wheat, corn and soybean production, with the largest adjustment being a 0.8% reduction in wheat production in 2007. The bulletin was produced by the Agricultural Statistics Board of the U.S.D.A. The board’s revisions to the previous U.S.D.A. estimates were based on a review of the original survey data and additional data that since became available, including the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

The final wheat production estimate for 2007 was 2,051,088,000 bus, down 15,634,000 bus, or 0.8%, from the previous estimate of 2,066,722,000 bus. Hard red winter wheat production in 2007 was 955,555,000 bus, down 6,033,000 bus, or 0.6%, from the former estimate of 961,588,000 bus. Soft red winter wheat production was 352,026,000 bus, down 5,871,000 bus, or 1.6%, from 357,897,000 bus as the previous estimate. Hard red spring wheat production was 450,070,000 bus, up 1,166,000 bus, or 0.3%, from the former estimate at 448,904,000 bus. Durum production in 2007 was 72,224,000 bus, up 538,000 bus, or 0.7%, from the previous estimate of 71,686,000 bus.

Wide cuts in 2005 white wheat figures were not explained by the Department but appear to have been shifted to red wheat.

The board pegged 2006 wheat production at 1,808,416,000 bus, down 0.2% from the previous estimate of 1,812,036,000 bus. Production was reduced 0.1% for both 2005 and 2004, with the 2005 outturn at 2,103,325,000 bus versus the previous estimate at 2,104,690,000 bus, and the 2004 outturn at 2,156,790,000 bus compared with 2,158,245,000 bus as the earlier estimate. Revisions to 2003 and 2002 wheat production were less than a tenth of a percentage point.

Corn production in 2007 was finalized at 13,037,875,000 bus, down 36,018,000 bus, or 0.3%, from the previous estimate at 13,073,893,000 bus. Adjustments to corn production numbers for each year from 2002 through 2006 were less than a tenth of a percentage point.

The U.S.D.A.’s final estimate of 2007 soybean production was 2,677,117,000 bus, up 1,295,000 bus, or less than a tenth of a percentage point, from the previous estimate of 2,675,822,000 bus. Soybean production in 2006 was raised to 3,196,726,000 bus, up 0.3% from the previous estimate of 3,188,247,000 bus, and the 2005 outturn was raised to 3,068,342,000 bus, up 0.2% from 3,063,237,000 bus as the previous estimate. Adjustments to soybean production estimates for 2002, 2003 and 2004 amounted to less than a tenth of a percentage point for each year.

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