Kansas 2009 wheat crop seen at 333.3 million bushels

Kansas, the top US wheat growing state, may produce 333.3 million bushels this year, down from the 2008 estimate of 379.1 million, according to wheat industry players assessing the state's crop fields.

Crop scouts assessed 459 fields and estimated the average wheat yield for Kansas, which has an estimated nine million acres seeded to winter wheat at 40.8 bushels per acre, down from estimated yield potential at 43.3 bushels per acre a year ago.

Kansas produced 356 million bushels of wheat last year, with an estimated average yield of 40 bushels per acre.

Wheat Quality Council Executive Vice President Ben Handcock said yield prospects are disappointing even though timely rains in recent weeks have greatly improved the crop.

There are some issues, and some wheat that was dry for too long, Handcock said.

Yield-limiting disease was noted in parts of Kansas, including problems such as nitrogen deficiency and insects.

Kansas should produce an ''average'' crop but it is not as good as initially expected despite the rains, Handcock said.

Kansas' average production has been 348.4 million bushels for the past 10 years.