RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia farmers expect to harvest 9.60 million bushels of winter wheat during 2022 according to the Virginia field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The expected crop for 2022 would be up 19% from the previous year.

The forecast was based on crop conditions as of June 1 and increased 2% from the May forecast. Growers expect a yield of 64.0 bushels per acre, down 3.0 bushels from 2021 and up 1.0 bushels from May. Farmers seeded 250,000 acres last fall with 150,000 acres to be harvested for grain. Acres for other uses totaled 100,000 acres and will be used as cover crop or cut as silage or hay.

As of June 5, winter wheat overall was in mostly good condition with harvest just getting started. Eight percent was reported harvested compared to 5% at this time last year and 6% for the five-year average.

Winter wheat production for the Nation was forecast at 1.18 billion bushels, up 1% from the May 1 forecast and down 7% from 2021. Based on June 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 48.2 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushels from last month and down 2.0 bushels from last year. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 24.5 million acres, down 4% from last year.

–USDA, NASS