WASHINGTON — The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on May 10, on the basis of its initial producer survey of the season, forecast winter wheat production in the United States in 2016 at 1,427,084,000 bus, up 56,896,000 bus, or 4%, from 1,370,188,000 bus in 2015. It would be the largest winter wheat crop since 1,542,902,000 bus in 2013. Harvested area of winter wheat this year was forecast at 29,831,000 acres, down 8% from 32,257,000 acres in 2015, but the average yield this year was forecast at 47.8 bus per acre, up 5.3 bus per acre from last year’s 42.5 bus per acre. If the yield forecast is realized, the 2016 yield would equal the record yield set in 1999.
The U.S.D.A. forecast hard red winter wheat production this year at 862,522,000 bus, up 4% from 826,913,000 bus in 2015. Soft red winter wheat production was forecast at 356,569,000 bus, down 1% from 359,055,000 bus last year. Soft wheat millers in March had forecast the 2016 soft red winter wheat crop at 362,126,000 bus. Hard white winter wheat production was forecast at 17,386,000 bus, up 9% from 15,914,000 bus in 2015. Soft white winter wheat production was forecast at 190,607,000 bus, up 13% from 168,306,000 bus in 2015.