North Dakota #1 In Wheat

This is surprising. I figured we would be in the top three, but never guessed we would be #1.

For the second year in a row, North Dakota has taken the number one spot in wheat production in the United States. Kansas comes in second, again.

All spring, winter and durum wheat harvested in North Dakota this year totaled 375 million bushels, just below the record — since at least 1992 — of 377 million bushels produced last year. Kansas’ crop was pegged at 360 million bushels this year, pretty much all of it hard red winter wheat; that was down from about 370 million bushels in 2009.

Despite few acres planted, yields are soaring.

The average wheat yield this year will be about 44.6 bushels an acre, barely lower than last year’s record 44.8 bushels.
The past two years represent a big leap — a full 32 percent — over the previous decade’s average yields. In the 10 years from 1999-2008, the state’s growers averaged 33.4 bushels an acre.

Growers in the Red River Valley average even more, up to 70 bushels/acre for spring wheat. 

North Dakota produces more than half of the nation's durum wheat, used to make pasta.