The 2006 Kansas wheat crop is forecast at 319.6 million bushels as of May 1, 2006. The current forecast is down 16 percent from the 2005 crop. This year’s crop is expected to be harvested from 9.4 million acres, down 100,000 acres from a year ago. Yield per harvested acre is expected to average 34 bushels, down from 40 bushels last year.

Seeding of wheat acres began the first week of September and progressed slightly ahead of average through completion. Soil moisture conditions were mostly adequate at the start of planting but declined by October. Rains received in the second half of October brought soil moisture supplies back to mostly adequate. By November 27, lack of rain again resulted in shortages. Forty-two percent of the topsoil moisture was rated short to very short and 45 percent of the subsoil moisture was rated short to very short. Wheat emergence progressed ahead of normal throughout the fall.

Wheat condition declined over the winter from 61 percent good-to-excellent in December to only 27 percent good-to-excellent for the week ending March 5. Warm temperatures and little precipitation fell during January and February, resulting in short topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions. By May 1st, 26 percent of the crop was judged to be in good-to-excellent condition with 40 percent of top soil rated very short or short. Crop progress has been ahead of normal this spring with 98 percent jointed on May 1st^..

KANSAS WHEAT PRODUCTION, MAY 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	32	39,290	33,800	86
West Central	1,265	1,080	1,200	985	82	37	32	43,860	31,800	73
Southwest	1,640	1,660	1,550	1,420	92	44	30	68,130	42,700	63
North Central	1,365	1,550	1,320	1,500	114	41	39	54,030	59,100	109
Central	1,550	1,570	1,500	1,485	99	42	36	63,720	52,900	83
South Central	2,270	2,320	2,160	2,080	96	41	30	87,530	62,900	72
Northeast	195	220	185	215	116	43	45	7,940	9,700	122
East Central	160	230	150	220	147	32	42	4,790	9,200	192
Southeast	320	460	300	445	148	36	39	10,710	17,500	163
State	10,000	10,200	9,500	9,400	99	40	34	380,000	319,600	84

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.32 billion bushels, down 12 percent from 2005. Based on May 1 conditions, the U.S. yield is forecast at 42.4 bushels per acre, 2.0 bushels less than last year. Grain area totals 31.2 million acres, down 8 percent from last season.

WINTER WHEAT, KANSAS AND SELECTED STATES 1/, MAY 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	34.0	380,000	319,600	84
Washington	1,800	1,800	100	67.0	68.0	120,600	122,400	101
Montana	2,100	1,950	93	45.0	42.0	94,500	81,900	87
Oklahoma	4,000	3,100	78	32.0	22.0	128,000	68,200	53
Ohio	830	960	116	71.0	69.0	58,930	66,240	112
Idaho	730	710	97	91.0	90.0	66,430	63,900	96
Nebraska	1,760	1,650	94	39.0	38.0	68,640	62,700	91
South Dakota	1,490	1,250	84	44.0	45.0	65,560	56,250	86
Illinois	600	870	145	61.0	63.0	36,600	54,810	150
Colorado	2,200	2,000	91	24.0	27.0	52,800	54,000	102
United States	33,794	31,177	92	44.4	42.4	1,499,129	1,322,831	88

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

Hay production during 2005 totaled 6.7 million tons, down 15 percent from the year before. As of May 1, 2006, Kansas hay stocks totaled 800,000 tons, compared with 5,000,000 tons on December 1, 2005 and 1,735,000 tons on May 1, 2005.