Based on May 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2026 winter wheat crop is forecast at 16.2 million bushels, down 57% from last year's crop, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Average yield is forecast at 28 bushels per acre, down 19 bushels from last year. Acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 580,000 acres, down 225,000 acres from last year. This would be 64% of the planted acres, significantly below last year's 85% harvested.
May 1 hay stocks of 1.6 million tons are down 13% from last year.
