Alva Review-Courier -

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Agriculture Department is forecasting a far smaller U.S. winter wheat crop than a year ago, led by a downturn in expected production out of Kansas.

The department's National Agricultural Statistics Service on Wednesday predicted the 2017 crop would be 25 percent smaller, at 1.25 billion bushels. Its forecast average wheat yield of 48.8 bushels per acre is 6.5 fewer bushels per acre than last year's record yield.

The outlook is worse for the nation's hard red winter wheat. The agency forecast U.S. hard red wheat production would be down 32 percent from a year ago, to 73...