The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its Small Grains 2024 Summary on September 30, focusing on the production of wheat and barley in Washington State, as well as providing national figures. It highlights year-over-year changes and compares the data to the 5-year production average. The report breaks down wheat production into winter and spring categories, further detailing by-class figures for the 5 wheat varieties grown in Washington State. Barley production trends are also discussed, showing regional increases despite national decreases.
On a national scale, total 2024 US wheat production is estimated at 1,971,301,000 bushels (approximately 53,299,037 MT), showing a 9% increase in production compared to the year prior and aligning with the 10% increase over the 5-year average. Washington ranked fourth in overall wheat production.
Some additional highlights for Washington state include:
Winter Wheat
Production is estimated at 122,500,000 bushels (3,333,968 MT), reflecting a 30% increase from last year and exceeding the 5-year average of 108,676,000 bushels. 90% Soft White, 10% Hard Red Winter. Statewide average yields were reported as 70 bu/ac, up from 54 bu/ac last year.
Spring Wheat
The current estimate stands at 21,070,000 bushels (573,443 MT), which is a 13% increase from last year’s figures but slightly below the 5-year average of 22,151,000 bushels. 83% Soft White, 23% Hard Red Spring, 1% Hard White. Statewide average yields were reported as 43 bu/ac, up from 38 bu/ac last year.
Barley
Production is estimated at 4,620,000 bushels (125,738 MT), reflecting a 3.8% increase from last year (YOY) and barely falling short of the 5-year average of 4,578,000 bushels (124,595 MT).
In 2024, total U.S. barley production is projected to be 143.8 million bushels, which is a 23% decrease year-over-year (YOY) and 10% below the 5-year average. In contrast, Washington’s barley production for 2024 is expected to increase by 3.77% YOY, representing 3.21% of the total U.S. production, which is a 34% increase from 2023 and 12% above the 5-year average.