05/12/08 Low Washington hay stocks; slightly larger winter wheat crop

Washington Ag May 12, 2008 Washington farmers are forecast to harvest 108.4 million bushels of winter wheat this summer. David Knopf, who heads up the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, says that's up slightly from last year, less than one percent, but lower than two years ago. He says as of May 1st winter wheat yields in the state were estimated to be 63 bushels an acre, down one bushel from 2007. Knopf: "The crop is running a little behind normal. It has been a little too cold and the crop could use a little bit more moisture in some areas. But with a little bit of heat and some rainfall I am sure it will make up some ground." Pacific Northwest wheat prices are still running several dollars a bushel above historical price levels for the 2008 crop. Nationally, U.S. winter wheat production is forecast to be up 17 percent from 2007. Hay stocks in Washington as of May 1st were 208-thousand tons, the lowest since 2001 and says Knopf says the cool spring is a factor. Knopf: "Our ranchers have had to continue feeding hay where typically many of them by now would be switched over to pasture and so those have drawn down the stocks of hay in this point in time." Hay stocks are lower than a year ago in Idaho and Oregon too. I'm Bob Hoff.