July 12, 2011

Based on July 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2011 winter wheat crop is forecast at 61.6 million bushels, up 4% from last month’s forecast but 4% below last year’s crop, according to the Nebraska Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The production increase from last month is from more acres for harvest as published in the USDA Acreage Report released on June 30, 2011. Average yield is forecast at 44 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month but 1 bushel above last year.

Area to be harvested for grain is estimated at 1.4 million acres, unchanged from the acreage report but 6% less than last year. Wheat harvest began at the beginning of July with development about a week behind average.

Oat production is forecast at 1.3 million bushels, down 22% from last year and the lowest since 1868. Acreage for harvest, at 20,000 acres, is down 5,000 from 2010, also the lowest since 1867. Yield, at 66 bushels per acre, is forecast to be 2 bushels per acre below a year ago.

Access the National publication for this release at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProd//2010s/2011/CropProd-07-12-2011.pdf
Find agricultural statistics for your county, State, and the Nation at www.nass.usda.gov