WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture on Aug. 12 raised its forecast for all-wheat production in 2020 to 1,837,637,000 bus, up 1%, from the July forecast but down 85,502,000 bus, or 4%, from 1,920,139,000 bus. The increase from July was based on higher forecasts for spring wheat and durum production, which more than offset a smaller estimated winter wheat outturn.
The USDA forecast the production of spring wheat other than durum at 577,485,000 bus, up 5% from the previous projection and up 3% from 562,380,000 bus in 2019. Other-spring wheat yield was forecast at a record 49 bus per acre, up 2.4 bus per acre from the July projection and up 0.8 bus per acre in 2019. Hard red spring wheat production was forecast at 529,683,000 bus, up 5% from the July outlook and up 8,126,000 bus, or 2%, from 521,557,000 bus in 2019.
The 2020 durum outturn was projected at 61,790,000 bus, up 11% from the July forecast and up 8,034,000 bus, or 15%, from 53,756,000 bus in 2019.
The USDA estimated the winter wheat crop at 1,198,362,000 bus, down 2% from the July forecast and down 105,671,000 bus, or 8%, from 1,304,003,000 bus in 2019.
The USDA estimated the hard red winter wheat crop at 695,365,000 bus, down 2% from the July forecast and down 17% from 833,181,000 bus in 2019.
The USDA estimated the soft red winter wheat crop at 276,882,000 bus, down 1% from the July forecast but up 16% from 239,166,000 bus in 2019. The soft white winter wheat crop was estimated at 211,557,000 bus, down 136,000 bus from the July forecast and down 145,000 bus from 211,702,000 bus in 2019.