Kansas wheat harvest report

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This is Day 5 of the 2014 Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and Kansas Grain and Feed Association.

Because of storms starting on Sunday evening and popping up statewide over the last few days, harvest has progressed slowly. Some areas of Kansas have received around six inches of rain while other areas had small hail. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of Monday about 24% of the state’s wheat has been harvested. At this point last year, only seven percent of the crop had been harvested.

Previous to the storms, Rangeland Coop in Philipsburg had yields ranging from 12-30 bushels an acre with a range of 59-62 pounds per bushel. Bruce Williams, a representative from the cooperative, said that he is expecting this year’s crop to be as bad as last year’s, which was about 40% of their normal totals. Farmers in the area are struggling with short wheat and have been affected both by drought and freeze.

In southeast Kansas, Wildcat District Extension agronomy specialist Josh Coltrain said, “It’s really tough comparing this year to the last few years because they have been so good. They were probably some of the best years that southeast Kansas will ever see. But overall the yields are substantially lower this year.” He is reporting a range of 30-60 bushels an acre, with an  average in the mid to upper 40s. Coltrain also said that overall the earlier planted wheat has better yields than the wheat planted later. Test weights are consistently good, averaging at over 60 pounds per bushel.

Karen Hill, a representative of Elkhart Coop Equity Exchange in Morton County, is expecting this year’s crop to be better than the area’s last harvest. Hill said, “Last year was our worst on record, but this year’s crop is shaping up to be a better one.” Hill added that there was more wheat planted this year, but there are a variety of yields in the area. She has received reports anywhere from 8-39 bushels per acre. The test weight is averaging about 61 pounds.

Richard Randall, a farmer from Scott City,has reported that he has received 6.60 inches of rain in June, with most of it coming from the last two days. Randall’s wheat harvest is stalled due to the influx of precipitation, which includes hail in the area. He said that many farmers will be spending time with crop adjusters soon, and that some farmers may have lost their remaining wheat crop. Up until the storms arrived, Randall said that most yields have ranged from 15-25 bushels an acre.

The 2014 Harvest Report is brought to you by Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and Kansas Grain and Feed Association.