The 2006 Kansas wheat crop is forecast at 291.4 million bushels as of June 1. The current estimate is down 9 percent from the May 1 estimate and 23 percent below the 2005 crop. The current crop is projected to be harvested from 9.4 million acres, down 100,000 acres from a year ago. Yield per harvested acre is expected to average 31.0 bushels, down 3.0 bushels from the May forecast and 9.0 bushels below the 2005 final yield.

As of June 4^th, wheat condition was rated 1 percent excellent, 15 percent good, 31 percent fair, 29 percent poor, and 24 percent very poor. The percent of the crop rated good to excellent decreased from 26 percent May 1^st to 21 percent by May 28^th.

Crop progress was well ahead of the 5-year average during May, and by May 28^th, wheat turning, at 44 percent, compared to the 5-year average of 24 percent. By the end of May, test cutting had begun in the southern part of the State.

The State experienced mostly above normal temperatures with light scattered showers during the month of May. Moisture conditions deteriorated during the month. On May 1^st, topsoil moisture was rated 40 percent short or very short; this increased to 61 percent by May 28^th.

KANSAS WHEAT PRODUCTION, JUNE 1, 2006
District	Acres Planted		Acres Harvested			Yield Per Acre		Production
District	2005	2006	2005	2006	% of Prev. Yr	2005	2006	2005	2006	% of Prev. Yr
WINTER WHEAT	- - - - - - - - 1,000 Acres - - - - - - - -				Percent	Bushels		1,000 Bushels		Percent
Northwest	1,235	1,110	1,135	1,050	93	35	28	39,290	28,900	74
West Central	1,265	1,080	1,200	985	82	37	27	43,860	26,200	60
Southwest	1,640	1,660	1,550	1,420	92	44	26	68,130	36,300	53
North Central	1,365	1,550	1,320	1,500	114	41	37	54,030	55,800	103
Central	1,550	1,570	1,500	1,485	99	42	34	63,720	50,700	80
South Central	2,270	2,320	2,160	2,080	96	41	29	87,530	59,400	68
Northeast	195	220	185	215	116	43	43	7,940	9,200	116
East Central	160	230	150	220	147	32	40	4,790	8,900	186
Southeast	320	460	300	445	148	36	36	10,710	16,000	149
State	10,000	10,200	9,500	9,400	99	40	31	380,000	291,400	77

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.26 billion bushels, down 4 percent from the May 1 forecast and 16 percent below 2005. Based on June 1 conditions, the U.S. yield is forecast at 40.5 bushels per acre, down 1.9 bushels from last month and 3.9 bushels less than last year. Grain area totals 31.2 million acres, unchanged from May 1. Hard Red production is down 8 percent from a month ago to 659 million bushels. Soft Red is up slightly from last month, and now totals 357 million bushels. White production totals 248 million bushels, down 2 percent from last month. Of the White production total, 19.7 million bushels are Hard White and 228 million bushels are Soft White. Forecasted head counts from the Objective Yield surveys in the six Hard Red Winter states (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas) are below last year’s level in all six states. Condition ratings declined in the central and southern Great Plains states during May due primarily to continued drought conditions. Harvest was in full swing in both Texas and Oklahoma, with progress in Oklahoma running well ahead of normal. In Kansas, disease pressure is slightly above normal and localized frost damage from a late April freeze in the western and north central growing regions affected yield potential. Yield prospects are down from the previous month in all states in the HRW growing area except for Oklahoma.

WINTER WHEAT, KANSAS AND SELECTED STATES, JUNE 1, 2006
State	Acreage			Yield Per Acre		Production
State	Harvested 2005	For Harvest 2006	% of Prev. Yr.	2005	2006	2005	2006	% of Prev. Yr.
	1,000 Acres		Percent	Bushels		1,000 Bushels		Percent
KANSAS	9,500	9,400	99	40.0	31.0	380,000	291,400	77
Washington	1,800	1,800	100	67.0	68.0	120,600	122,400	101
Montana	2,100	1,950	93	45.0	39.0	94,500	76,050	80
Oklahoma	4,000	3,100	78	32.0	22.0	128,000	68,200	53
Ohio	830	960	116	71.0	68.0	58,930	65,280	111
Idaho	730	710	97	91.0	86.0	66,430	61,060	92
Illinois	600	870	145	61.0	65.0	36,600	56,550	155
Nebraska	1,760	1,650	94	39.0	34.0	68,640	56,100	82
South Dakota	1,490	1,250	84	44.0	38.0	65,560	47,500	72
Missouri	540	870	161	54.0	53.0	29,160	46,110	158
United States	33,794	31,177	92	44.4	40.5	1,499,129	1,263,766	84

1/ Selected states based on top 10 states according to production of winter wheat.