CHICAGO, June 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday cut its U.S. winter wheat crop outlook by 2% from a month earlier as a harsh drought in the Plains cut its hard red winter wheat production view to the lowest since 1957.

The USDA projected U.S. winter wheat production in the 2026/27 season at 1.030 billion bushels, down from its forecast of 1.048 billion last month and well below last year's winter crop of 1.402 billion bushels. Production of hard red winter wheat, the largest variety grown in the United States, was projected to fall to 497 million bushels, down from an outlook for 515 million last month and well below last year's 804-million-bushel crop.