Missouri Wheat Production Dialed Down While Illinois Maintains Surge

Last week’s Crop Production report dialed down the projected increase in yield for this year’s winter wheat harvest. USDA now projects yield of 51.8 bushels per acre, from 25.4 million acres. While up almost one bushel from last year’s total, this month’s yield figure was a downgrade of 1.8 bushels from July, resulting in production totaling 1.32 billion bushes. Missouri’s projected production for the year slid to 33 million bushels, following a four-bushel-per-acre cut in yield to 66.

Meanwhile, figures in Illinois were unchanged, affirming their best harvest in eight years at 52 million bushels. Much of the state’s wheat is grown within 75 miles of Saint Louis, including on the Fayette County farm of Danny Rubin, president of the Illinois Wheat Association.

Rubin’s farm has maintained wheat in their rotation for decades. He says including wheat helps control weeds that would otherwise impact his corn and soybeans.

Illinois Wheat Association president Danny Rubin says several Illinois farmers had dropped the crop from their rotation in 2015 after their fields were impacted by vomitoxin. However, Robin anticipates even more wheat acreage in the Land of Lincoln next year.