Bloomberg – 5/1/12
The fastest-ever development of the Kansas wheat crop is drawing a record number of surveyors seeking to gauge prospects for a harvest that is poised to swell the world’s grain bins and drive prices lower. Kansas, the top U.S. grower of winter wheat, will collect 45.8 bushels an acre when the harvest starts in May, the most since 2003 and up from 35 bushels in 2011, based on the average estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 10 analysts, some of which are among the record 100 participants expected in this year’s crop tour. As of yesterday, grain had developed in 74 percent of the crop, the most for that date since at least 1981 and up from a five-year average of 7 percent, government data show. MORE