CROPS

KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE

Kansas Department of Agriculture

PO Box 3534

Topeka, KS 66601-3534

Phone: 785-233-2230

Released: January 12, 2006

Volume 06, No. 1

                                               Kansas

                      2005 Crop Production Summary

CORN: Corn production for grain totaled a record 465.8 million bushels, up 36.8 million bushels from the November forecast, and 33.8 million bushels above last year’s previous record, of 432.0 million bushels. The yield averaged 135 bushels per acre, 5 bushels above the November forecast but 15 bushels below the 2004 yield. Planted area was 3.65 million acres, up 550,000 acres from the previous year. Acreage harvested for grain, at 3.45 million acres, was up 570,000 acres from the area harvested in 2004. Corn silage production, at 2.40 million tons, was 6 percent below the production of 2.55 million tons in 2004.

SORGHUM: Production of sorghum for grain in Kansas totaled 195.0 million bushels in 2005. Production was up 7.5 million bushels from the November forecast but 25.4 million bushels below last year. The yield, at 75 bushels per acre, was 1 bushel less than a year earlier. Kansas farmers planted 2.75 million acres, 450,000 acres fewer than last year. Harvested area for grain was 2.60 million acres, down 300,000 from 2004. Sorghum silage production, at 780,000 tons, was down 14 percent from last year.

SOYBEANS: Production of Kansas soybeans totaled 105.5 million bushels in 2005. This was up 1.9 million bushels from the November forecast but 5.6 million bushels below last year’s production. Yield per acre was 37 bushels, unchanged from November but 4 bushels below 2004. Harvested acreage was 2.85 million acres, up 5 percent from the acres harvested last year and a new record high.

HAY: Production of all types of hay was 6.7 million tons, down 530,000 tons from the previous forecast and 1.2 million tons from the previous year. Alfalfa production, at 3.40 million tons, was down 11 percent from the 2004 crop of 3.80 million tons, while other hay production, at 3.28 million tons, was down 20 percent from last year. Alfalfa acreage harvested was down 100,000 acres from 2004. Other hay harvested decreased 350,000 acres compared with a year earlier.

WHEAT: Wheat production was 380.0 million bushels, up 21 percent from the 2004 crop. Acres planted totaled 10.0 million, unchanged from 2004. Acreage harvested, at 9.5 million acres, was up 1.0 million acres from the previous year. Yield for the 2005 crop was 40 bushels, 3 bushels above 2004.

1/ All harvested only includes acres harvested for grain and silage. 2/ Yield in pounds. 3/ All forage production is the sum of dry hay harvested and haylage and greenchop production after converting it to a dry equivalent basis.

United States Crop Summary

CORN: The 2005 corn for grain production was estimated at 11.1 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the November forecast but down 6 percent from the 11.8 billion bushels produced in 2004. The average U.S. grain yield is estimated at 147.9 bushels per acre, 0.5 bushel below the November forecast and down 12.5 bushels from 2004. The 2005 production and yield estimates are the second largest on record, behind last year. Planted area totaled 81.8 million acres, up 1 percent from last year. Acres harvested for grain, at 75.1 million acres, is up 2 percent from 2004. Farmers harvested 5.92 million acres of silage, a 3 percent decrease from last year.

SORGHUM: Production of grain sorghum in 2005 is estimated at 394 million bushels, up 2 percent from the November forecast but 13 percent below 2004. Area harvested for grain is estimated at 5.74 million acres, down 12 percent from 2004. Average grain yield, at 68.7 bushels per acre, is 0.9 bushel below the 2004 average yield.

SOYBEANS: Production of soybeans totaled 3.09 billion bushels in 2005, the second largest U.S. soybean crop on record. The average yield per acre in 2005 is estimated at a record high 43.3 bushels, 0.6 bushel above the November forecast and 1.1 bushels above the 2004 final yield. Planted area for the U.S., at 72.1 million acres, is down 4 percent from 2004. Harvested area is down 4 percent from 2004, to 71.4 million acres.

ALL WHEAT: Production of wheat for 2005 is estimated at 2.10 billion bushels, up fractionally from the Small Grain 2005 Summary, but 2 percent below 2004. Area harvested for grain at 50.1 million acres, is fractionally above the Small Grain 2005 Summary and last year. The U.S. yield is 42.0 bushels per acre, unchanged from the Small Gains 2005 Summary but down 1.2 bushels from a year ago. U.S. durum wheat production is up 12 percent from last year, other spring wheat is down 11 percent, and all winter wheat is down fractionally from last year’s crop.

1/ Yield in pounds. 2/ All forage production is the sum of dry hay harvested and haylage and greenchop production after converting it to a dry equivalent basis.

Wheat Seedings for 2006

Wheat seeded in Kansas in the fall of 2005 for the 2006 crop totaled 10.2 million acres, up 200,000 acres from the 2005 crop. Kansas wheat seeded by district for recent years is shown in the table below. Seeding of wheat acres began early in September and progressed mostly on schedule to completion. Soil moisture was mostly adequate during September but by October, shortages were prevalent. Rains about mid-October brought soil moisture supplies back to mostly adequate, but lack of precipitation resulted in shortages again occurring by the end of November.

Wheat emergence was mostly ahead of normal throughout the season thanks to mostly favorable moisture conditions. Wheat condition was rated 6 percent excellent, 57 percent good, 29 percent fair, 6 percent poor, and 2 percent very poor at the end of November.

Winter wheat seeded in the United States for harvest in 2006 is estimated at 41.4 million acres, up 2 percent from 2005. Approximate class acreage breakdowns are: Hard Red Winter, 29.9 million acres; Soft Red Winter, 7.3 million; and White Winter, 4.2 million acres.

Kansas Grain Stocks

Kansas wheat stocks in all positions on December 1 totaled 205.2 million bushels, 6 percent above last December. Wheat stored at off-farm locations (mills, elevators, warehouses, and processors) totaled 175.2 million bushels, which accounted for 85 percent of the total grain stocks. On-farm stocks, at 30.0 million bushels, were up 30 percent from a year earlier.

Sorghum grain in all positions totaled 163.9 million bushels, 2 percent below last year’s level. Off-farm stocks accounted for 128.9 million bushels and on-farm stocks 35.0 million bushels.

Kansas corn stocks in all locations, at 348.7 million bushels, were up 14 percent from last December. Off-farm stocks were 213.7 million bushels, which accounted for 61 percent of the total corn stocks. On-farm stocks, at 135.0 million bushels, were up 17 percent from last December. These are the highest levels of December corn stocks on record.

Off-farm oat stocks were 565,000 bushels, down 21 percent from last December.

Kansas soybeans in all locations totaled 91.8 million bushels, a 4 percent increase from December 2004. Off-farm stocks, at 62.8 million bushels, were up 12 percent from last year and accounted for 68 percent of the total soybean stocks. On-farm stocks totaled 29.0 million bushels, down 3 million bushels from the previous year’s stocks.

Joel Golz & Dan Kolterman, Agricultural Statisticians

Eldon J. Thiessen, Director

Eddie Wells, Deputy Director