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June 23, 2009

Wheat yields half of 2008 crop

Farmers and grain elevators are faced with a difficult year.

With harvest underway as of June 9, grain elevator personnel and a state official report that farmers are bringing in less than half the number of bushels of wheat compared to last year.

That means less money for both the elevators which store the grain and for the farmers who grow it, accompanied by higher fuel costs and higher prices for fertilizer and herbicides.

Mike Schulte, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, said “It really does hurt. Last year was a bumper crop with 166 million bushels throughout the state. We’re seeing greater than a 50-percent loss this year.”

“I’ve heard elevators in the far Southwestern part of the state are hoping to take in 10 percent to 20 percent compared to last year,” he said. “They may have wheat left over from last year to sell off, but this harvest is going to hurt them.”

Despite the low yields, harvest is moving forward in all parts of the state.

In the Woodward area, they’re about 50 to 55 percent complete, Schulte said.

“Everything should be wrapped up (this Friday), weather permitting,” he said, noting, Woodward farmers are netting about 25 bushels of wheat per acre.

A good crop is 65 bushels an acre.

In the Panhandle, irrigated wheat will be finished at a later date, he said.

“The Panhandle will be getting started by this Friday if the weather holds up,” Schulte said.

While elevators in the Southwestern part of the state are suffering from low yields, so are elevators closer to Woodward.

According to Harold Holley of Johnston W.B. Grain Co. in Camargo, his elevator will take in half of what it received the year before.

“That’s a heavy loss,” Holley said. “There’s more dockage this year because of the drought weather we had. I don’t know what we’re going to do about it. Most of the harvest is done.”

While the yield is low -- but reaching 35 bushels an acre in some areas -- test weights for the wheat are good, he said, adding the moisture content also is good.

Last year, he said, wheat in some areas averaged 65 bushels an acre.

Scott Bonine of Johnston W.B. Grain Co. in Shattuck said harvest in his area this year varied from 10 bushels an acre yield to 38 bushels.

“It’s below average,” Bonine said, echoing what Holley said -- that the drought and the freeze greatly reduced the yield.

“It will hurt the elevators, because we won’t have as much product (to store), he said.

As for the condition of the wheat in his area, he called it “fair overall.”

“It’s average quality,” he said, noting that elevator personnel look for test weight and foreign material, such as rye. “The moisture has been OK.”

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