The latest on the wheat harvest
Mark Hodges, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, has been supplying us with harvest updates. This is from Thursday’s update:
Harvest started back up in the western part of the state on Wednesday. Combines were finishing up what was left to cut around Eldorado and Frederick locations with wheat in this area now weighing around 59 to 60 pounds after the Sunday storms. I am now projecting the harvest is 95% complete south of Highway 62 (Walters across to Eldorado).
Little cutting was done on Wednesday in the areas around Hobart, Cordell or Chickasha (Hwy 62 northward to just south of I-40. However, along I-40 north around El Reno, Greenfield and Okarche combines were moving again by late afternoon. Harvest in the north central and northeast part of the state continues to be delayed due to the heavy rains this past week. Producers are hopeful they will be able to get back into the fields by Saturday at the earliest.
Areas from Lahoma to Ponca City received anywhere from 8 to 10 inches of rain this past week. Even if the wheat does dry down, producers will still be fighting mud in the coming days. Harvest is just getting started around the Shattuck and May areas in the Northwest part of the state. Shattuck was taking in wheat that was testing 12.3 moisture and weighing 58.5 to 60 pounds per bushel. A few loads have been taken in around Hooker where moisture was testing anywhere from 13.4 to 19 percent. Test weights in this area have been highly variable, ranging from 50 pounds to 60 pounds per bushel.
Elevator managers around Hooker and Guymon feel like they will be just getting started with harvest coming this weekend. In general, we lost about 2 pounds of test weight around the state with last Sunday’s rain event. Proteins are improving as new areas begin to harvest and the overall average protein in the areas that are winding down are also improving.
Business Reporter
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