Field of wheat at UNL's Rogers Memorial Farm just east of Lincoln. (Photo by Nick Manes)

July 11, 2013

Based on July 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2013 winter wheat crop is forecast at 41.76 million bushels, down 8% from the June 1 forecast due to fewer acres estimated for harvest. The crop is down 22% from last year, and the smallest production since 1944, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Average yield is forecast at 36 bushels per acre, up 1 bushel from last month but down 5 bushels from last year and the lowest since 2006.

Acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 1.16 million acres, down 11% from June 1 and also 11% below last year. This would be 80% of the planted acres, well below last year’s 94% harvested and the smallest percentage since 1992.

Oat production is forecast at 2.52 million bushels, more than twice last year’s output and the largest since 2005. Acreage for harvest, at 40,000 acres, is more than double 2012. Yield, at 63 bushels per acre, is forecast to be 6 bushels above a year ago.