07/02/08 More wheat acres for harvest in Washington, less hay and barley

Washington Ag July, 2, 2008 The results of a state and national survey conducted in early June showed that Washington growers expect to harvest 1.77 million acres of winter wheat this year, 80-thousand more acres than last year. Dennis Koong, Deputy Director of the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service says spring wheat acres for harvest are up over last year too. Koong: "Spring wheat harvested acres increased 168-thousand from last year and that change from last year is the largest year-to-year change since 1995 when acreage increased to 445-thousand from 245,000 acres." Washington farmers planted 620-thousand acres of spring wheat this year which was more than they said they would back in March. Koong says the increase in wheat acres over 2007 took acres away from other crops. Koong: "Including barley, oats, corn, alfalfa hay, other hay and dry beans." All hay acreage in the state is down 80-thousand acres from last year. Barley acres for harvest are expected to be down 30-thousand from 2007. I'm Bob Hoff.