05/15/06 Wash number two in winter wheat

Washington Ag May 15, 2006 While winter wheat production nationally is forecast to drop 12 percent from last year, Washington farmers may harvest a few more bushels than they did in 2005 and get a better price for it. Joe Parsons of the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service says the first estimate of this year's crop pegs production in Washington state at 122.4 million bushels up about one percent from last year. Winter wheat acreage was about unchanged in Washington from 2005 but yields may be slightly better. Parsons: "Last year we had winter wheat yields of 67 bushels an acre. We are forecasting a winter wheat yield of 68 bushels an acre. So one bushel above both last year and two years ago." And because of this year's drought in the Plains, Washington's ranking in winter wheat production may move up. Parsons: "We'll move up from our normal standing up to number two right behind Kansas and that's combined with our slightly increased production and then the large decrease in production in both Oklahoma and Texas." The expected drop in U.S. and world wheat stocks this coming year has the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasting an average wheat price about 38 cents a bushel higher than this current marketing year. I'm Bob Hoff.