ne-press-release -*-*-*- NEWS RELEASE -*-*-*- ISSUED: July 12, 2004 by: NEBRASKA Agricultural Statistics Service P.O. Box 81069 Location: 298 Federal Bldg Lincoln, NE 68501 Phone: (402) 437-5541 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ USDA National Ag Statistics Service Mark Harris, Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-mail: nass-ne@nass.usda.gov Web: www.usda.gov/nass/ NEBRASKA WHEAT AND OAT PRODUCTION LOWER LINCOLN, Neb., July 12, 2004 -- Based on July 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2004 winter wheat crop is forecast at 57.6 million bushels, down 11 percent from last month's forecast and 31 percent below last year's crop, according to USDA's Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service. Average yield is forecast at 32 bushels per acre, 3 bushels below last month and 14 bushels below last year's near record yield. This is the lowest yield since 1992 when the average was 30 bushels per acre. The recorded head count from Nebraska's objective yield survey, at 43.0 heads per square foot, is the lowest since 1996. Acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 1.80 million acres, 20,000 acres less than last year. "After the near record yielding crop of a year ago, this season has turned into a real disappointment for many Nebraska wheat producers due to the continued drought conditions in western counties and a mid-May freeze which damaged the crop," said Mark Harris, director of Nebraska Agricultural Statistics. Wheat harvest started the third week of June and has kept a near normal pace. Oat production is forecast at 3.65 million bushels, down 44 percent from last year's record yielding crop. Acreage for harvest, at 50,000 acres, is down 44 percent from 2003 while yield at 73 bushels per acre is equal to last year's record high yield. Access the National publication for this release at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/field/pcp-bb/2004/crop0704.pdf #