MANHATTAN, Kan. – Fewer acres of hard red winter wheat are expected to be harvested in Kansas and some other key states this year, which could push total U.S. HRW wheat production to its lowest level since 1967, said K-State Research and Extension crops marketing specialist Bill Tierney.

Based on crop conditions as of late April, Tierney projected 8.6 million acres of HRW wheat to be harvested in Kansas this summer. He estimated yields at 34.5 bushels per acre for a total crop of 297 million bushels.

"That’s 51 million bushels less than last year," he said.

Crop prospects in other HRW states vary, Tierney said, with the Texas crop projected at 87 million bushels, up 32 percent from last year and South Dakota production estimated at 23 million bushels, down 57 percent from last year.

"Based on abandonment and yield projections for the principle HRW producing states, the May Crop Report’s estimate of all HRW production is projected to be 705 million bushels – that’s down 16 percent from last year. If correct, that will be the smallest HRW crop since 1967," Tierney said.