Tulsa World: Wheat harvest better than predicted

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | WIRELESS

Home > Business

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Wheat harvest better than predicted
After a slow start, crop quality has improved.

By AP Wire Services
Published: 6/17/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 6/17/2009 6:16 AM

ENID (AP) — Oklahoma's wheat harvest has taken a beating this season, but there are some positive signs, officials say.

Waukomis Cooperative manager James Wilson said farmers in the Enid area have been cutting for about 10 days, and if the weather stays good, they could be finished in another 10. Yields have ranged from 18 to 30 bushels an acre, he said.

The quality of the crop also has improved, with the elevator taking in three loads that measured more than 60 pounds per bushel, Wilson said.

To grade No. 1 and collect a higher price, wheat must have a test weight of at least 60 pounds per bushel, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Most of the wheat brought in has been 58 or 59 pounds. No. 2 wheat is 58 pounds per bushel, according to USDA.

Paul Campbell, location manager for Plains Partners in Hennessey, said rain has slowed efforts by wheat farmers in that region.

"It's finally getting kicked off," he said Monday. "Test weights have ranged from 54 to 59 pounds, although yields, at 30 bushels an acre, have been better than we were expecting."

Statewide, wheat production has been up and down in recent years.

Last year, 166.5 million bushels were harvested, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

That was nearly double the 98 million bushels collected in 2007 and more than double the 81.6 million bushels harvested in 2006, a year of devastating drought.

In 2007, the crop was in good shape until an April freeze caused some damage. Then, heavy rains at harvest kept many farmers from getting combines in their fields.

In a similar scenario, drought that began in southwest Oklahoma in 2008 affected the condition of the wheat there, then the state experienced another late freeze in April.

At Carrier Mill and Elevator Association, manager Lee Redman said Monday afternoon harvest had just started in the area.

"It had been pretty non-existent until an hour or two ago," he said. The quality of the first few loads his facility has received is not top quality, running about 58 to 59 pounds per bushel.

By AP Wire Services

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

0 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.