Illinois’ winter wheat numbers up

 The Illinois field office of National Agricultural Statistics Service last week released the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s July Crop Production Report. State and national highlights of the report include:
ILLINOIS
The Illinois wheat yield for the 2013 crop is estimated to average 65 bushels per acre based on the July 1 surveys, up 1 bushel per acre from the June forecast. Total production would be 53.3 million bushels, more than 12.6 million bushels more than the 2012 production of 40.64 million bushels. Acreage harvested for grain is expected to be 820,000, which is 175,000  more than the harvested acres in 2012.
As of July 7, 68 percent of the wheat acres were harvested, compared to 99 percent last year and the five-year average of 79 percent.
UNITED STATES
Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.54 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the June 1 forecast, but down 6 percent from 2012. Based on July 1 conditions, the United States' yield is forecast at 47.8 bushels per acre, up 1.7 bushels from last month and up 0.6 bushel from last year. If realized, this will equal the United States' record high yield established in 1999. The area expected to be harvested for grain or seed totals 32.3 million acres, unchanged from the acreage report released on June 28, but down 7 percent from last year.