WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — U.S. 2012 all wheat production was forecast at 2,224,075,000 bushels, up 11%, from 1,999,347,000 bushels harvested in 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its July Crop Production report on July 11.

The USDA forecast production of winter wheat at 1,670,346,000 bushels, down 13,321,000 bushels, or 1%, from its June forecast but up 176,669,000 bushels, or 12%, from 1,493,677,000 bushels in 2011.

Production of spring wheat other than durum in 2012 was forecast at 471,769,000, up 4% from 455,188,000 bushels in 2011. Durum output was forecast at 81,960,000 bushels, up 62% from 50,482,000 bushels last year. It was the USDA’s first survey-based estimates for other spring wheat, durum and all wheat for the current year.

The USDA all wheat number was below the average trade expectation of 2,253 million bushels and the winter wheat number was near the trade average of 1,668 million bushels.

The USDA forecast winter wheat yield at 47.7 bushels per acre based on conditions as of July 1, up 0.4 bushels from 47.3 bushels in June and up 1.5 bushels from 46.2 bushels in 2011. Harvested area was forecast at 35 million acres, unchanged from the June Acreage report but up 8% from a year ago. 

Production of hard red winter wheat was forecast at 1,009,656,000 bushels, down 1% from June but up 29% from 780,089,000 bushels in 2011. Soft red winter wheat production was forecast at 429,027,000 bushels, up slightly from June but down 6% from 457,535,000 bushels last year. White winter wheat was forecast at 231,663,000 bushels, up slightly from last month and down 10% from 256,053,000 bushels in 2011. Soft white winter wheat production was forecast at 217,616,000 bushels, up slightly from June and down 11% from 243,685,000 bushels last year. Hard white winter was forecast at 14,047,000 bushels, unchanged from June and up 13% from 12,368,000 bushels harvested in 2011.

The USDA forecast spring wheat other than durum yield at 40.4 bushels an acre, up 2.7 bushels from 37.7 bushels an acre in 2011. Harvested area was forecast at 11.7 million acres, unchanged from the June Acreage report but down 3% from 2011.

Production of hard red spring wheat was forecast at 435,485,000 bushels, up 10% from 397,689,000 bushels in 2011.

Durum yield was forecast at 38.6 bushels an acre, up 0.1 bushels from 38.5 bushels an acre in 2011. Harvested area was forecast at 2.12 million acres, unchanged from the June Acreage report but up 62% from a year earlier.

All wheat yield was forecast at 45.6 bushels an acre, up 1.9 bushels from 43.7 bushels an acre in 2011. All wheat harvested area was forecast at 48.8 million acres, up 7% from 45.7 million acres in 2011.

Oats production in 2012 was forecast at 65,276,000 bushels, up 22% from the record low of 53,649,000 bushels in 2011, the USDA said.

U.S. 2012 barley production was forecast at 216,690,000 bushels, up 39% from 155,780,000 bushels last year.