Winter wheat crop expected to rise 23 percent from last year

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Agriculture officials say South Dakota’s 2019 winter wheat crop is forecast to be up 23 percent from last year.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service says in its crop production report that 38.9 million bushels of winter wheat should be produced this year, based upon May 1 conditions. The average yield is predicted to be 54 bushels per acres, up 6 bushels from last year.

The service says acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 720,000 acres, up 60,000 acres from last year. That would be 83 percent of the planted acres, above last year’s 80 percent that was harvested.

Hay stocks of 1.20 million tons are down 3 percent from last year.