07/16/07 Potato acreage up; wheat production down in Washington

Washington Ag July 16, 2007 Fall potato acreage in Washington and across the U.S. is up over last year. Chris Messer of the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service has the state's numbers from the first official estimate. Messer: "Washington's potato growers planted an estimated 165-thousand acres in 2007, up six percent from the acres planted in 2006." Nationally fall potato acreage is up 2 percent from last year. The Statistics Service trimmed the expected average Washington winter wheat yield a bushel from last month's forecast to 65 bushels an acre, which would produce a crop two percent smaller than in 2006. The state's spring wheat crop is forecast to be down 10 percent from last year despite more acres due to lower yields of 43 bushels. Grower and Wheat Commission chairman Randy Suess the recent heat took its toll on spring wheat. Suess: "I think we are going to see some real light test weights. So it has really caused it to ripen up in a hurry. It is turning a lot of it white especially in the shallow spots." Washington's barley crop is forecast to be up 13 percent from last year. Yields as of July 1st were estimated at 60 bushels an acre. The Statistics Service also reported Washington farmers increased dry edible pea acreage 12 percent this year. They decreased lentil acres ten percent. I'm Bob Hoff.