What a difference a year makes

OLYMPIA—According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), it will be a banner year for Washington wheat.

NASS just published its new harvest forecast based on June 1 conditions. The forecast predicts that Washington growers will produce 131 million bushels of winter wheat this year, up 85% from last year.

The 2021 wheat crop was abysmal due to the extreme drought and heat in Washington state. This year, winter wheat is predicted to yield 73 bushels an acre, which is up 31 bushels an acre in 2021.

In a separate NASS report on hay stocks, the agency posted that farm hay stocks as of May 1 in Washington fell 18% to 180,000 tons from 220,000 tons in 2021.