Nebraska Wheat Production Forecast And Hay Stocks

Lincoln, Neb., May 10, 2012 -- 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 grain 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.

Access the National publication for this release at: http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProd//2010s/2012/CropProd-05-10-2012.pdf