June wheat update

The Illinois Field Office of National Agricultural Statistics Service last week released the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s June Crop Production Report.
State and national highlights of the report include:
ILLINOIS
The Illinois wheat yield for the 2012 crop is estimated to average 61 bushels per acre, based on the June 1 surveys, down one bushel from the May 1 forecast, but the same as last year.
Total production would be 38.4 million bushels, a decrease of 18 percent from the 2011 production of 46.7 million bushels.
Farmers expect to harvest 630,000 acres for grain this year, 135,000 less than in 2011. As of May 27, 34 percent of the wheat crop was ripe, compared to 1 percent last year and the five-year average of less than 1 percent.
UNITED STATES
Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.68 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the May 1 forecast, but up 13 percent from 2011.
Based on June 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 47.3 bushels per acre, down 0.3 bushel from the previous forecast, but up 1.1 bushels from last year.
Expected grain area totals 35.6 million acres, unchanged from last month.
As of June 3, 52 percent of the winter wheat crop in the 18 major producing states was rated in good to excellent condition, 18 points above the same week in 2011.
By June 3, 88 percent of the crop had headed, 8 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average, and harvest was 20 percent complete, 17 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average.
Forecasted head counts from the objective yield survey in the three soft red winter states (Illinois, Missouri and Ohio) are above last year’s levels in Missouri and Ohio, but below in Illinois.
Improved growing conditions in Missouri raised yield expectations from last month. As of June 3, crop development was running ahead of normal, and harvest had begun in Illinois and Missouri.