The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its June Crop Production report today based on the Agricultural Yield survey conducted at the beginning of the month. The report includes information on Virginia’s winter wheat forecast.

Virginia farmers expect to harvest 11 million bushels of winter wheat during 2018. The expected crop for 2018 would be up 15 percent from the previous year. The forecast was based on crop conditions as of June 1 and decreased six percent from the May forecast. Growers expect a yield of 63 bushels per acre, down three bushels from 2017 and down four bushels from May. Farmers seeded 230,000 acres last fall with 175,000 acres to be harvested for grain. Acres for other uses totaled 55,000 acres and will be used as cover crop or cut as silage or hay.

“The Virginia winter wheat crop experienced varied temperatures and precipitation during the month of May,” said Herman Ellison, Virginia state statistician. “As of May 29, 96 percent of the crop had headed and mostly rated in good condition.”

Winter wheat production for the nation was forecast at 1.20 billion bushels, up one percent from the May 1 forecast and down six percent from 2017. Based on June 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 48.4 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushels from last month and down 1.8 bushels from last year. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 24.8 million acres, down two percent from last year.

“I would like to thank all the farmers for taking time out of your busy schedules to respond the Agricultural Yield Survey,” Ellison said. “The more farmers we have responding to our surveys, the more accurate data we can provide for the agricultural industry. I wish them a very prosperous and healthy year.”

To view the complete report, visit https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/crop0618.pdf. For more information, call the NASS Virginia Field Office at (800) 772-0670.