Big yields, lower prices

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

With wheat harvest wrapping up, grain elevator managers are reporting taking in many more bushels than last year, when the harvest generally was quite poor.

Lincolnville and Tampa Agri-Trails elevators each took in a little more than 1 million bushels. That compares with 734,000 bushels at Lincolnville and 640,000 bushels at Tampa a year ago.

The full weight of 62 pounds per bushel declined somewhat because of rain but still averaged 59 pounds.

Yields between 60 and 80 bushels per acre were common and ranged from 50 to 100 bushels throughout the area.

The price of wheat per bushel Tuesday afternoon was $5.47, about $1.50 lower than just a few weeks ago.

Marion’s Cooperative Grain and Supply elevator took in about 700,000 bushels compared to 450,000 to 500,000 bushels last year. Yields averaged 65 bushels per acre. The price was $5.60 on Tuesday.

Some reportedly sold some wheat, but most of it was being stored in hope of better prices in the future.