WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its Small Grains Summary 2019 issued Sept. 30 estimated wheat production in the United States this year at 1,961,734,000 bushels, down 18.475 million bushels from the August forecast but up 76.578 million bushels, or 4%, from 1,885,156,000 bushels in 2018. The 2019 crop was the largest since 2.309 billion bushels in 2016 and compared with 2.005 billion bushels as the recent five-year average.

The all-wheat harvested area in 2019 was estimated at 38.052 million acres, down 1.56 million acres, or 4%, from 39.612 million acres in 2018. The average wheat yield in 2019 was estimated at 51.6 bushels per acre compared with 47.6 bushels per acre in 2018. It was the second highest average yield on record falling short only to 52.7 bushels per acre in 2016.

The USDA noted that when it surveyed producers for the summary report there remained significant unharvested acreage of durum in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, and a large proportion of other-spring wheat acreage not yet harvested in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington.

“The unharvested area and expected production were included in totals published in this report,” the USDA said. The department said it would recontact respondents who previously reported acreage not yet harvested. “If the collected data justifies any changes, NASS will update the Sept. 30 estimates in the Nov. 8 Crop Production report.”

The USDA estimated the production of spring wheat other than durum at 599.99 million bushels, up 3.33 million bushels from the August projection but down 23.242 million bushels, or 4%, from 623.232 million bushels in 2018. The USDA estimated the other-spring wheat harvested area at 12.435 million acres, down 4% from 2018. The average yield was 48.3 bushels per acre, which tied with the 2018 yield as the record high.

The USDA estimated hard red spring wheat production in 2019 at 558.901 million bushels, down 6.852 million bushels from the August forecast and down 28.106 million bushels, or 5%, from 587.007 million bushels in 2018. The recent five-year average hard red spring wheat outturn was 517 million bushels.

The hard white spring wheat crop was estimated at 11.96 million bushels, down 683,000 bushels from the August outlook and down 1.55 million bushels from 13.51 million bushels in 2018. The soft white spring wheat crop was estimated at 29.129 million bushels, up 10.865 million bushels from August and up 6.414 million bushels, or 28%, from 22.715 million bushels a year ago.

The USDA estimated durum production in 2019 at 57.741 million bushels, up 415,000 bushels from August but down 20.244 million bushels, or 26%, from 77.985 million bushels in 2018. The durum harvested area estimated at 1.29 million acres, down 35% from last year, but average yield set a record high at 44.8 bushels per acre.

The USDA estimated 2019 winter wheat production at 1,304,003,000 bushels, down 22.22 million bushels from the August estimate but up 120.064 million bushels, or 10%, from 1,183,939,000 bushels in 2018. Harvested area was estimated at a record low 24.327 million acres, down 415,000 acres from 24.742 million acres in 2018. The USDA noted area harvested for grain was 1% larger than a year ago in the hard red winter wheat states but was 16% smaller in the soft red winter wheat states. Average winter wheat yield was estimated at 53.6 bushels per acre compared with 47.9 bushels per acre a year ago.

Hard red winter wheat production in 2019 was estimated at 833.181 million bushels, down 6.653 million bushels from the August estimate but up 170.932 million bushels, or 26%, from 662.249 million bushels in 2018.  It was the largest hard red winter wheat outturn since 1.082 billion bushels in 2016 and compared with 813 million bushels as the five-year average production.

The USDA estimated soft red winter wheat production at 239.166 million bushels, down 18.323 million bushels from August and down 46.392 million bushels, or 16%, from 285.558 million bushels last year. It was the smallest soft red winter wheat crop since 219 million bushels in 2010 and compared with 348 million bushels as the recent five-year average.

The soft white winter wheat crop was estimated at 211.702 million bushels, up 7.375 million bushels from the August estimate but down 5.083 million bushels, or 2%, from 216.785 million bushels in 2018. The hard white winter wheat crop was estimated at 19.954 million bushels, down 4.619 million bushels from August but up 607,000 bushels from the 2018 outturn.