November 1997
Final Numbers, 1997 Small Grains
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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain
Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association.
The positive spin on the 1997 wheat and barley growing season in the Northern Plains: it's done with, and 1998 offers a clean slate. Here are this year's harvest numbers, from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service:
MINNESOTA
Spring wheat production estimated at 76.8 million bushels was down 27% from 1996. Yield at 32 bushels per acre was down 10 bushels from last year. Durum wheat production was estimated at 170,000 bushels, down 60% from 430,000 bushels in 1996. Yield at 34 bushels per acre was down 9 bushels from 1996. Winter wheat production at 1.9 million bushels was up 67% from last year. Yield at 32 bushels was down 4 bushels from 1996. Minnesota's oat crop, at 18 million bushels, was up 19% from last year. The yield at 58 bushels was up 2 bushels from last year. Barley production of 27.5 million bushels was down 17% from last year. Yield at 51 bushels was down 13 bushels from 1996.
NORTH DAKOTA
Spring wheat production is estimated at 210 million bushels, down 33% from last year. Average yield at 25 bushels was down 8 bushels from last year. Durum production was 56.5 million bushels, down 29% from 1996. Harvested acres. Yield averaged 22 bushels, down 5 bushels from last year. Winter wheat production was 1.16 million bushels, down 49% from last year. Yield was 21 bushels, down 9 bushels from 1996. N.D. barley production was 101.3 million bushels, down 29% from last year. Yield averaged 45 bushels, down 10 bushels from 1996.
SOUTH DAKOTA
All wheat production, at 99.2 million bushels, is 29% below last year's record. Spring wheat at 67.2 million bushels is down 19% from 1996. Yield, at 28 bushels per acre, is down 9 bushels from last year's record. However, this year's production ties 1990 for the state's third largest crop, behind only 1992 and 1996. This is due mainly to 2.4 million harvested acres, the second highest since 1953.
Winter wheat production, at 31.5 million bushels, is down 43% from 1996. Yield, at 30 bushels per acre, is 5 bushels below last year and is the lowest since 1992. Producers planted 1.65 million acres last fall, but severe winter kill diminished the crop. Durum wheat production, at 513,000 bushels, is 29% below last year. Yield, at 27 bushels, is 3 bushels below last year. This year's oat production at 17.05 million bushels is the second smallest output since 1936. Barley production at 4.94 million bushels is 23% below last year and the lowest since 1934. Yield was 38 bushels per acre, 6 bushels below 1996.
MONTANA
Average winter wheat yield was estimated at 39 bushels per acre, up 7 bushels from last year, for a total production of 56.55 million bushels which is down 11% from 1996.
Spring wheat acreage made up for lost winter wheat acreage. Montana spring wheat and durum acreage was the largest planted since 1953. Total spring wheat production was estimated at 121.8 million bushels, up 14% from last year. This is the second largest crop on record only behind 1995's production, due mainly to the large number of acres harvested. Total durum production was estimated at 7.28 million bushels, up nearly 4 percent from last year. Barley production was estimated at 63.6 million bushels, up 23 percent from last year. Average barley yields were set at 53 bushels per acre, the second highest yield on record.
U.S. HIGHLIGHTS
All wheat production totaled 2.53 billion bushels in 1997, 11% better than the 1996 crop. It was the biggest production since 1990 and the 5th largest on record. The derived U.S. yield is a record high 39.7 bushels per acre, 3.4 bushels better than in 1996.
Winter wheat production this year was estimated at 1.88 billion bushels, 27% more than 1996. This is the largest production level since 1990. Yields averaged a record high 45 bushels per acre.
U.S. spring wheat production in 1997 was estimated at 558 million bushels, down 19% from 1996. Harvested area was 18.7 million acres, down 5 percent from last year. The U.S. yield was 29.9 bushels per acre, 5.2 bushels per acre below last season's average. This is the lowest U.S. yield since 1989.
Durum production at the national level for 1997 was estimated at 86.2 million bushels, down 26% from last year. The U.S. yield was pegged at 27.7 bushels per acre, the lowest average in eight years.
U.S. barley production in 1997 was estimated at 374 million bushels, down 5% from last year's estimate. Average yield per acre, at 58.3 bushels, was down 0.2 bushels from 1996.
U.S. production of oats in 1997 totaled 176 million bushels, an increase of 13% over last year's record low crop but still the third lowest production on record since 1866. Area harvested for grain, at 2.91 million acres, was the second lowest harvested acreage since estimates were first made. Grain yield per harvested acre averaged 60.5 bushels, the third highest yield on record. n