Forcasters Optimistic With Wheat Harvest

A new government report forecasts an even more bountiful winter wheat harvest in Kansas than had been expected.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service on Tuesday said the state’s crop this year is forecast at 330 million bushels, up 19% from last year. The more optimistic forecast is based on crop conditions on June 1.

The agency is predicting average yields in Kansas of 50 bushels an acre, up 12 bushels from a year ago.

Those extra bushels per acre are bolstering the anticipated harvest in a year when fewer acres overall are anticipated to be harvested. The report says Kansas is expected to harvest 6.6 million acres, down 700,000 acres from last year.