YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - Wheat production was down 14 percent in the Plains states this year, and the drop in South Dakota and North Dakota was even greater.

"Our total statewide production is down 20 to 25 percent from average," said Rick Vallery, executive director of South Dakota Wheat Inc.

Drought was blamed for the reduction.

In North Dakota, total production of all types of wheat was down 17 percent from last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA says world wheat inventories are at their lowest level since 1982. The agency predicts global demand will surpass production for the sixth time in the past seven years and that U.S. growers are expected to plant more wheat as prices rise and inventories fall.

"Winter wheat's looking pretty good and we think there's going to be more acres than normal planted (in wheat)," Vallery said.

Southeastern South Dakota has more winter wheat acres this year, while the winter wheat acreage in the northern part of the state is about the same, he said.

"The late August and September rains helped the winter wheat that got put in," he said.

The increased acreage is due to various reasons, Vallery said.

The wheat market is good right now, according to Vallery, putting the commodity at a competitive level with corn.

"When we start hitting $4.50 to $5.00 for wheat, that makes it competitive with (corn supplied to) the ethanol industry," Vallery said.