By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Low commodity prices and disease concerns led to fewer acres of wheat in Texas and the United States this year, which led to lower wheat production numbers across the board.

Texas farmers produced 68.2 million bushels of wheat this year, according to the Small Grain Annual Summary from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

That’s down from 89.6 million bushels produced in 2016 and 107 million bushels in 2015—a reduction of 21.4 million bushels and 38.8 million, respectively.

Statewide yields, according to the report, average 29 bushels per acre. That’s a four-bushel per acre decrease from last year.

This year, 2.35 million acres of wheat were harvested for grain. That’s down 450,000 acres, or 16 percent, from 2016.

According to the Texas Wheat Producers Board and Association, about six million acres of wheat are planted, on average, in Texas each year.

The group anticipated a reduction in acreage this year due to the low price for wheat, which prompted some to plant another crop or simply graze out their wheat.

About 455,000 acres of oats were planted this year in Texas. That’s down from 470,000 acres last year.

Of those, 60,000 acres were harvested—the same as last year. Other acreage was likely grazed by livestock.

Average yield per acre in Texas was 45 bushels, down five bushels from 2016.

Oat production in Texas was at 2.7 million bushels. That’s down from three million last year.

The April Prospective Plantings report from USDA NASS predicted 4.8 million acres of winter wheat would be planted in Texas this year.

U.S. winter wheat production is also down this year. Nationally, farmers produced 1.27 billion bushels of winter wheat. That’s a decrease of 4,000 bushels from last year.

National yields averaged 50.2 bushels per acre, which is down 5.1 bushels per acre from last year.

About 25.3 million acres of wheat will be harvested for grain this year. That’s down 16 percent from 2016.

The Prospective Plantings report forecasts 32.7 million acres of winter wheat nationally this year.

Nationally, oat production is estimated at 49.4 million bushels, down 24 percent from 2016, with yields estimated at 61.7 bushels per acre. That’s down 4.3 bushels from 2016.

The full report is available here.