Drought slams US small grains, heading spring wheat harvest to 33-year low

The USDA’s downgrade to US small grain production offered the latest example of how hot and dry weather is taking a toll on food production. In its Small Grains Annual Summary, released this afternoon, the USDA nearly quadrupled its spring wheat harvest loss estimate, essentially putting US spring wheat production on a path to its lowest production level since the late 1980s. Since March Gro has been warning about the hot and dry weather across the US Northern Plains that has been zapping yield potential and forcing farmers to abandon acres in key growing states. The USDA is now forecasting an 11% harvest loss for spring wheat, placing spring wheat production at its lowest level in 33 years. Durum wheat production is pegged at the lowest level since the 1960s. Year-to-date Minneapolis spring wheat futures are up 47%. The latest USDA spring wheat abandonment estimate is now in line with Gro’s projections, as we wrote about here. This adjustment, along with reduced yields, takes the ...