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Record wheat harvest predicted for 2016

The US Department of Agriculture announced earlier this month wheat harvest projections across the US are poised for a record year. Ohio farmer Paul Ralston said recent rains have kept some Ohio farmers out of the fields until this week, but the yields look promising this year.

“The weather was pretty condusive for the crop, not a lot of rain when it was ripening. Not much disease in anything. I think grain quality is going to be excellent. Yield-wise, from what we’ve cut so far I’d say we’re going to be in that 70 plus bushel an acre range, and I would take that any day.” said Ralston.

Earlier this month, the USDA estimated winter wheat production at 1.51 billion bushels across the U.S. Up ten percent from 2015, with 50.5 bushels on average per acre. Ralston said the quality of the winter wheat is also much better this year than it has been in many years.

“It’s good and thick. All the heads are about identical. The straw quality is nice and heavy. All around I think it’s going to be a pretty good wheat year.” said Ralston.

The State of Ohio is expecting a record year as well with USDA estimating 41.3 million bushels with a yield forecast of 75 bushels per acre, placing it one bushel above the previous record set in 2014.