Colorado agriculture officials are forecasting a winter wheat harvest of more than 92 million bushels this year. That would be an 18% increase above last year's production of 78 million bushels.
While the harvest expectation is up, U.S. Department of Agriculture outlook chairman Gerry Bange says it comes as the nationwide price for wheat is down about 16%, to $6.10 per bushel.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 down fairly sharply from the $7.25 that was reported in 2011- 12. But it reflects, among other things, certainly a much larger corn crop 鈥� which in fact does play back into the wheat price, ultimately.鈥�
The 10-year average for Colorado winter wheat production is 68 million bushels. Experts say this year鈥檚 crop was planted under mostly favorable conditions thanks to a dry, mild winter. The Colorado Association of Wheat Growers says many farmers anticipate this year.
