But outlook is better than a month ago
Staff writer
With the wheat harvest expected to begin within the next week, crops are in need of sunlight to provide drying action, said Dick Tippin of Cooperative Grain and Supply.
“The rains here have kind of delayed harvest,” he said. “It’s good for corn, milo, and soybeans in the fall harvest, though.”
Tippin said brutally cold temperatures caused winterkill in the wheat during winter, and a lack of rain in the spring kept the crop from growing to its full potential. He expects bushels per acre to be down from an average of 50 to 60 last year.
“The harvest is better than we thought it would be three weeks ago,” said Andy Stone, a financial services agent with Marion County Farm Bureau. “I’d expect there to be an average of 30 to 40 bushels per acre.”
Rain in the last couple of weeks has helped the crop for harvest.
“It’s good for the grain, filling the head,” Tippin said. “The quality should have good test-weight.”
Because there aren’t as many wheat plants to produce, due to weather during winter and spring, Tippin said the potential for a larger crop is maxed out.
“It’s not going to be great,” Tippin said. “But it will be better than it was.”