Wheat Tour Estimates 338.5M Bushels for Kansas Wheat Crop
The 2025 Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour concluded on May 15 after a three-day journey across Kansas. Participants followed six routes, starting in Manhattan, traveling through Colby and Wichita, and returning to Manhattan.
This year’s tour brought together 67 individuals from 21 U.S. states and six countries, traveling in 17 vehicles. Notably, over half of the attendees were first-time participants.
Throughout the tour, scouts visited 449 wheat fields to assess crop conditions. The average projected yield from these fields was 53 bushels per acre.
Kansas farmers planted an estimated 7.4 million acres of wheat last fall, and the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) expects around 6.9 million acres to be harvested this summer. While the final outcome depends on weather conditions in the coming weeks, the tour offers a snapshot of the crop’s current potential.
Based on the data collected, the tour’s projected wheat production for Kansas is 338.5 million bushels. This estimate reflects the average of predictions made by tour participants.
In comparison, the USDA’s May 1 forecast was slightly higher at 345 million bushels, with an expected yield of 50 bushels per acre.
One of the major concerns observed during the tour was the presence of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus complex. This disease can significantly reduce yields, depending on the extent of infection. Some fields showed mild symptoms along the edges, while others had widespread infections.
The Wheat Quality Council sponsors the tour to foster collaboration among breeders, growers, and processors, and to promote wheat and flour quality. The event also aims to build industry connections, provide a real-time look at crop conditions, and highlight the importance of agriculture.
This year’s group included producers, grain traders, millers, bakers, academics, and media. Among them were 12 farmers, 11 grain trade professionals, 18 millers, and nine bakers.
U.S. Wheat Associates sponsored six participants from flour mills in Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Venezuela, continuing the tradition of connecting international buyers with Kansas wheat producers.