10/04/05 USDA report shows smaller wheat crop

Farm and Ranch October 4, 2005 USDA issued its Small Grain Summary last Friday which updated and finalized wheat production for 2005. USDA economist Joe Glauber says the production numbers for wheat were down from last year and from previous reports. Glauber: "All the classes of wheat except for durum were down slightly. So again, a little lower than what the industry was looking at and what we have been carrying in our reports." All wheat production was pegged at 2.1 billion bushels down three percent from the last forecast and three percent below 2004. Total wheat production in the Pacific Northwest for 2005 was set at 293.5 million bushels, also three percent less than last year. Final winter wheat yields in the region were 91 bushels an acre in Idaho, 61 in Oregon and 67 bushels an acre in Washington. Average spring wheat yields were 72 bushels in Idaho, 52 bushels in Oregon and 44 bushels an acre in Washington. USDA also reported that the quantity of wheat stored in the Pacific Northwest as of September 1st was 260.4 million bushels, five percent below the same time last year. On-farm stocks totaled 67 million bushels, 14 percent less than 2004 and off-farm stocks at 193.4 million bushels were two percent less than last year. Total U.S. wheat stocks at 1.92 billion bushels were down one percent from September of 2004. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.