Crop production report released

Based on Aug. 1 conditions, barley production in Wyoming is forecast at 4.85 million bushels, according to the Aug. 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. 

This forecast is down four percent from the July 1 forecast and 25 percent from last year. The area for harvest in 2018 is down 14,000 acres from last year. Barley yield is forecast at 99 bushels per acre, down three bushels per acre lower than last year. 

Wyoming producers expect to harvest 560,000 acres of alfalfa hay this year, up 10,000 acres from 2017.  Alfalfa production is forecast at 1.74 million tons, up nine percent from 1.6 million tons produced in 2017. Other hay production is estimated at 900,000 tons, up two percent from a year ago. 

Yields are expected to average 3.1 tons per acre for alfalfa and 1.8 tons per acre for other hay, both up from a year ago.

Dry bean production for 2018 is forecast at 619,000 hundredweight, down 34 percent from the 933,000 hundredweight produced a year earlier. Yields are expected to average 2,210 pounds per acre, down from 2,390 pounds per acre last year

Sugarbeet production is forecast at 992,000 tons, up 11 percent from 891,000 tons produced in 2017. Growers expect to harvest 30,700 acres this year compared with 31,600 acres a year ago. Yields are expected to average 32.3 tons per acre, up from 28.2 tons per acre a year ago.