FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Agriculture officials say North Dakota’s 2019 winter wheat crop is forecast to be up 15 percent from last year.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service says in its crop production report that 3.45 million bushels of winter wheat should be produced this year, based upon May 1 conditions. The average yield is predicted to be 46 bushels per acres, up 3 bushels from last year.

The service says acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 75,000 acres, an increase of 5,000 acres from last year. That would be 83 percent of the planted acres. Hay stocks of 1 million tons are up 39 percent from last year.