Experts have raised the forecast for the US corn and wheat harvests

Three-quarters of corn and 74% of wheat crops are in excellent or good condition, exceeding forecasts, The Western Producer reported June 7.

The good start could be overshadowed by hot and dry conditions in the western Corn Belt from late June through the end of the growing season, according to World Weather Inc President Drew Lerner. The greatest drought is expected in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, southwest Iowa, western Illinois and parts of the Mississippi Delta.

That said, the summer will not be as hot as originally forecast, the expert said. “We’ve had so much rain that we’re going to have some moisture for a while,” Lerner said. Lower yields in the west are more than offset by favorable conditions in the east.

Winter wheat yields in Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska are expected to be 46.5 bushels per acre (31.2 c/ha) based on field survey results, well above the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s forecast of 38 bushels per acre (.25.6 c/ha).

“I believe spring wheat will produce a good crop in both the U.S. and Canada,” the expert said.

Tags: USA, crop forecast, corn, wheat