News

2016 spring wheat crop down 11% on year

U.S. spring wheat production in 2016 was down 11% from 2015.

The USDA says the crop totaled 534.027 million bushels with a record average yield of 47.2 bushels per acre. 2015’s crop totaled 603.240 million bushels with an average yield of 46.2 bushels per acre. By type, the USDA has hard red spring at 493.125 million bushels, hard white at 7.539 million, and soft white at 33.363 million bushels. The year to year decline in production was because of lower acreage. Planted area was 11.605 million acres, compared to 13.368 million in 2015, and harvested area of 11.303 million acres, compared to 13.601 million the year before. Demand for hard, higher protein varieties of wheat are better than other types, but the ample U.S. and record projected world supply of wheat limit interest.

Durum totaled 104.116 million bushels, compared to 84.009 million in 2015, with an average yield of 44 bushels per acre, unchanged on the year. Planted area was 2.412 million acres, compared to 1.951 million the year before, and harvested acreage was 2.365 million acres, compared to 1.911 million in 2015.

Spring wheat and durum production and yield in Brownfield states: Minnesota: Spring Wheat: 73.34 million bushels, compared to 85.8 million in 2015; average yield of 59 bushels per acre, compared to 60 last year

South Dakota: Spring Wheat: 47.25 million bushels, compared to 60.48 million in 2015; average yield of 45 bushels per acre, compared to 48 last year; Durum: 231,000 bushels, compared to 246,000 in 2015; average yield of 33 bushels per acre, compared to 41 last year