WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) -- A new report says Wisconsin is expected to keep its crown as cranberry king.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects Wisconsin will harvest 4.5 million barrels of cranberries this fall. That's an increase of 2 percent over the 2011 crop.

The Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association says the projection means Wisconsin will be the nation's top cranberry-producing state for the 18th consecutive year.

Association Executive Director Tom Lochner says warm weather and a dry period when pollination was taking place contributed to a good cranberry crop this year.

Wisconsin's cranberry harvest is expected to begin in late September or early October.

The USDA projects Massachusetts will harvest 2.1 million barrels of cranberries, followed by New Jersey with 542,500 barrels, Oregon 400,000 barrels and Washington 142,000 barrels.