Winter Wheat Crop
Down Nine Percent

WASHINGTON —(AP)— With wheat prices in the doldrums, American farmers will harvest a winter wheat crop down nine percent from last year at 1.71 billion bushels, the Agriculture Department is forecasting.

Early predictions for the nation's corn crop, meanwhile, indicated farmers will bring in 9.64 billion bushels, while soybean production is tentatively projected to be up three percent from last year's record.

Farmers are expected to harvest more than one million acres less winter wheat than last year, when average prices topped $4 a bushel. This year's crop could sell at just over $3 a bushel, leading many growers to switch to other crops.

Kansas, the leading winter wheat state, expects a crop of about 377.4 million bushels, down from 506 million bushels in 1997.

Three-quarters of the winter wheat crop rated good or better as of May 3, its best condition at this stage of development since 1993. Scattered freezes have had very little impact; overall yields are estimated at 42 bushels per acre.

Including spring wheat just now being planted, total U.S. wheat production this year is projected at 2.3 billion bushels, a seven percent drop from last year.

Despite the lower crop estimate, prices will remain depressed because more wheat remains in storage from last year and export demand is weak. At the same time, U.S. growers face a strong challenge from the European Union.

"Competition for markets will remain fierce," the Agriculture Department predicted.