Wichita ? As farmers wind down fall harvest in Kansas, the government Wednesday issued more optimistic production forecasts for the state’s soybean crop.

The Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service now estimates the state’s soybean crop will total 57.5 million bushels.

While that is still 2 percent below last year’s drought-plagued crop, the new forecast is up 5 percent from estimates a month ago.

Yields statewide were expected to average 23 bushels per acre.