USDA, NASS, Tennessee Field Office
Debra Kenerson, State Statistician

Released: June 12, 2018

Tennessee Wheat Growers Expect a Record High Yield

 Tennessee farmers expect to harvest 22.5 million bushels of winter wheat during 2018 according to the Tennessee field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The expected crop for 2018 would be up 17 percent from the previous year. The forecast was based on crop conditions as of June 1 and increased 4 percent from the May forecast. Growers expect a yield of 75.0 bushels per acre, up 5.0 bushels from 2017 and up 3.0  bushels from May. If realized, the yield would surpass the current record of 73.0 bushels per acre set in 2016. Farmers seeded 400,000 acres last fall with 300,000 acres to be harvested for grain. Acres for other uses totaled 100,000 acres and will be used as cover crop or cut as silage or hay.

Winter wheat production for the Nation was forecast at 1.20 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the May 1 forecast and down 6 percent from 2017. Based on June 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 48.4 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushels from last month and down 1.8 bushels from last year. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 24.8 million acres, down 2 percent from last year.