The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that Virginia’s wheat producers expect yields to average 65 bushels per acre in 2014. This is up three bushels from last month’s forecast. Yield forecasts are based on conditions as of July 1 in a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Wheat production in Virginia is expected to total about 17.2 million bushels, up one percent from last year’s total wheat crop of 17.1 million bushels. Producers expect to harvest 265,000 acres of wheat, 10,000 acres less than in 2013.
Barley yields in Virginia are expected to average 76 bushels per acre, down six bushels per acre from last year. Barley production is expected to total 2.51 million bushels, down 25 percent from 2013. Harvested acreage is expected to total 33,000 acres, down 8,000 acres from last year.
Virginia’s 2014 flue-cured tobacco production is expected to total 50.6 million pounds, up seven percent from 2013. Acres harvested are estimated at 22,000 acres, up 500 acres from last year. The yield, forecast at 2,300 pounds to the acre, is up 100 pounds from last year.
Source: Virginia Department of Agriculture