The 2005 Kansas wheat crop is forecast at 422.4 million bushels as of May 1, 2005. The current forecast is up 34 percent from the 2004 crop. This year’s crop is expected to be harvested from 9.6 million acres, up 1.1 million acres from a year ago. Yield per harvested acre is expected to average 44 bushels, up from 37 bushels last year.

Seeding of wheat acres began the first week of September and progressed slightly behind normal through completion. Dry conditions persisted throughout September, but widespread showers during October and November helped improve soil moisture for wheat germination. On November 29, 7 percent of the topsoil moisture was rated short to very short and 29 percent of the subsoil moisture was rated short to very short. Emergence lagged behind normal until the end of November when it progressed to slightly ahead of normal.

Wheat condition declined slightly over the winter from 71 percent good-to-excellent in December to 69 percent good-to-excellent for the week ending March 13. Scattered precipitation fell throughout the winter improving topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions. By May 1st, 68 percent of the crop was judged to be in good-to-excellent condition with 26 percent of top soil rated very short or short. Crop progress has been ahead of normal this spring with 94 percent jointed on May 1st^..

KANSAS WHEAT PRODUCTION, MAY 1, 2005
District	Acres Planted		Acres Harvested			Yield Per Acre		Production
District	2004	2005	2004	2005	% of Prev. Yr	2004	2005	2004	2005	% of Prev. Yr
WINTER WHEAT	- - - - - - - - 1,000 Acres - - - - - - - -				Percent	Bushels		1,000 Bushels		Percent

Northwest	1,125	1,190	490	1,140	233	18	41	9,045	46,500	514
West Central	1,190	1,270	870	1,215	140	22	42	18,995	51,400	271
Southwest	1,510	1,510	1,345	1,385	103	31	43	42,135	59,800	142
North Central	1,355	1,340	1,275	1,290	101	42	47	53,590	60,800	113
Central	1,520	1,640	1,460	1,580	108	43	48	62,655	75,900	121
South Central	2,240	2,290	2,075	2,165	104	41	42	84,795	90,500	107
Northeast	240	260	230	250	109	55	50	12,645	12,600	100
East Central	285	240	270	230	85	42	46	11,350	10,600	93
Southeast	535	360	485	345	71	40	41	19,290	14,300	74
State	10,000	10,100	8,500	9,600	113	37	44	314,500	422,400	134

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.59 billion bushels, up 6 percent from 2004. Based on May 1 conditions, the U.S. yield is forecast at 45.4 bushels per acre, 1.9 bushels more than last year. Grain area totals 35.1 million acres, up 2 percent from last season.

WINTER WHEAT, KANSAS AND SELECTED STATES 1/, MAY 1, 2005
State	Acreage			Yield Per Acre		Production
State	Harvested 2004	For Harvest 2005	% of Prev. Yr.	2004	2005	2004	2005	% of Prev. Yr.
	1,000 Acres		Percent	Bushels		1,000 Bushels		Percent

KANSAS	8,500	9,600	113	37.0	44.0	314,500	422,400	134
Oklahoma	4,700	4,300	91	35.0	34.0	164,500	146,200	89
Washington	1,750	1,850	106	67.0	68.0	117,250	125,800	107
Texas	3,500	3,500	100	31.0	30.0	108,500	105,000	97
Colorado	1,700	2,450	144	27.0	35.0	45,900	85,750	187
Montana	1,630	2,050	126	41.0	41.0	66,830	84,050	126
Nebraska	1,650	1,700	103	37.0	45.0	61,050	76,500	125
Idaho	700	730	104	90.0	90.0	63,000	65,700	104
South Dakota	1,250	1,400	112	45.0	45.0	56,250	63,000	112
Ohio	890	810	91	62.0	66.0	55,180	53,460	97
United States	34,462	35,069	102	43.5	45.4	1,499,434	1,590,862	106

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

Hay production during 2004 totaled 7.9 million tons, up 13 percent from the year before. As of May 1, 2005, Kansas hay stocks totaled 1,735,000 tons, compared with 6,304,000 tons on December 1, 2004 and 1,400,000 tons on May 1, 2004.