USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service released the May Crop Production report May 13, forecasting a Kentucky winter wheat yield of 80 bushels per acre, down from the record high yield of 87 last year.

“This year’s wheat crop is looking good, going into a critical growth stage,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky, in a May 13 statement. “While expectations are down from last year’s record high yield, 80 bushels per acre is still an excellent yield. In fact, it is second all-time to the record high 2021 yield.”

Kentucky farmers expect to harvest 29.2 million bushels of wheat during 2022. The expected crop would be down 4 % from the previous year. Farmers seeded 540,000 acres last fall with 365,000 acres to be harvested for grain. Based on crop conditions as of May 1, and assuming a normal growing season, farmers expect a yield of 80 bushel per acre. Acres for other uses totaled 175,000 acres and will be used as cover crop or cut as silage or hay.

As of May 8, winter wheat was rated 1% very poor, 1% poor, 8% fair, 67% good and 23% excellent. At this same date, crop progress was at 55% headed compared to 64% last year and 70% for the five-year average.

Winter wheat production for the Nation was forecast at 1.17 billion bushels, down 8% from 2021. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals24.5 million acres, down 4% from last year. As of May 1, the U.S. yield was forecast at 47.9 bushels per acre, down 2.3 bushels from last year.

As of May 1, Kentucky on-farm hay stocks totaled 980,000 tons, up 30,000 from May 1, 2021 stocks. Farmers have used 74% of their hay stocks since December 1, 2021.

U. S. hay stocks were at 16.8 million tons, down 1.24 million tons from 2021.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.