Idaho’s total wheat production could be substantially higher this year than it was in 2021, mainly due to a better water supply outlook. Idaho’s winter wheat production this year is expected to be up 46 percent compared with last year. The severe drought conditions in Idaho last year resulted in yields for most crops, including wheat, being way down so it’s no great surprise that winter wheat yields are forecast to be up substantially this year.
“We’ve gone from last year being the worst crop in most farmers’ careers to having the makings of at least an average if not above-average crop this year,” said north Idaho wheat farmer “Genesee” Joe Anderson. The lack of water last year resulted in the average wheat yield in Idaho dropping from a record 96.7 bushels an acre in 2020 to 67.6 bushels an acre in 2021.