Ag Department Sees Wheat Decline

Tue., May 13, 1997

From Staff And Wire Reports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Monday projected a 20 percent drop in Washington’s winter wheat crop, and a 4 percent decline in Idaho.

The change indicates a return to a normal harvest after record production in 1996 and increasing interest in alternative crops.

In its first forecast of the year, the USDA said Washington farmers will reap 131.2 million bushels of winter wheat, compared with 164.5 million bushels the previous year. Crop yields should fall from the all-time high of 70 bushels per acre in 1996 to 61 bushels per acre this year.

Idaho farmers are expected to harvest 66.1 million bushels, down from 68.8 million bushels a year ago. Yield will dip from 80 to 76 bushels per acre.

Total U.S. production of white wheat, the predominant fall-seeded variety in the Northwest, will be 258.7 million bushels, compared with 293.6 million bushels last year.

Nationwide, the department predicted a harvest of 1.56 billion bushels of winter wheat, up from 1.48 billion in 1996, but little changed from 1.54 billion in 1995. , DataTimes

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Ag Department Sees Wheat Decline

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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