Wheat Harvest Is Rolling

Wheat Harvest Is Rolling

Wheat Harvest Is Rolling. I’m Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

Growing up in a small farming town in the midwest the beginning of the wheat harvest was always an exciting time. Here in the northwest, it’s that time according to Michelle Hennings, Executive Director for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.

HENNINGS: This week is where we’re really going to start to see everybody start cutting and we’re also expecting it to be a quicker finish, earlier harvest.

The heat has really played heck with all crops this year and it has growers two to three weeks ahead. But the heat has also caused some other issues.

HENNINGS: I think bushels could potentially be down due to the weather being too hot, too fast. we were in the 90’s and 100’s for the last two weeks and it’s taken its toll. We don’t know what the crop average will be but we do anticipate protein will be above average this year

Head size has been smaller and in some cases almost non-existant as the hot dry conditions didn't allow some wheat to mature.

HENNINGS: The price did kind of change today, it kind of took a drop but you kind of see that when harvest hits, you alway see the price drop a little bit so it’s too hard to tell. The wheat is affected by the heat and the weather this year and like I said it will definitely be down.

And that’s Washington Ag Today. I’m Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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