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Released: May 12, 2023
Virginia 2023 Wheat Forecast and May Hay Stocks
Virginia farmers expect to harvest 8.85 million bushels of winter wheat during 2023 according to the Virginia Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The expected crop for 2023 would be down 13% from the previous year. Farmers seeded 230,000 acres last fall with 145,000 acres to be harvested for grain. Based on crop conditions as of May 1 and assuming a normal growing season, farmers expect a yield of 61.0 bushels per acre, down 7.0 bushels from 2022. Acres for other uses totaled 85,000 acres and will be used as cover crop or cut as silage or hay.
As of May 7, winter wheat overall was in mostly good condition with farmers currently planting crops and cutting hay. Eighty-two percent of the crop was headed compared to 71% at this time last year and 64% for the five year average.
Winter wheat production for the Nation was forecast at 1.13 billion bushels, up 2% from 2022. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 25.3 million acres, up 8% from last year. As of May 1, the U.S. yield was forecast at 44.7 bushels per acre, down 2.3 bushels from last year.
As of May 1, Virginia on-farm hay stocks totaled 320,000 tons, up 40,000 tons from May 1, 2022 stocks. Farmers have used 81% of their hay stocks since December 1, 2022.
U. S. hay stocks were at 14.5 million tons, down 2.24 million tons from 2022.
Herman Ellison
State Statistician
