Harvest early, yields and prices down

The 2015 harvest has begun in earnest, two to three weeks ahead of schedule for most area farmers. Dry conditions have prevailed since last year, with spotty rain allowing some farmers good conditions for planting winter wheat, but almost no snow all winter and only scattered showers in March and May, plus late spring frosts, all of which adversely affected the crop. Since the beginning of June, there has been no rain at all and a three-week streak of hot weather with high temperatures in the triple digits. None of this has been good for the wheat plants.

The Record spoke to Pearson Burke of the Odessa Union Warehouse and to Stacey Hunt of the Ritzville Warehouse, both agreeing that yields were down, protein content was high and test weights were lighter than the average for the tri-county area (Lincoln/Adams/Grant).

The first loads began arriving at Odessa Trading Company/Ritzville Warehouse stations from the Marlin Hutterian Brethren on June 30 and at Odessa Union Warehouse stations on July 6. Hunt said the Marlin station stayed open on the July 4 holiday for the first time in many years. Much like last year, fields were hit by winter kill episodes, lack of overall moisture and late spring frosts. Even within some individual fields, yields varied depending on those same factors. Burke said the Union stations were seeing between 15 and 50 bushels to the acre on dryland farms.

Protein amounts in the wheat were also higher than average, something that happens when the wheat plant is stressed by cold, heat or lack of moisture. International buyers of soft white wheat prefer a lower protein content, so the high-protein wheat will not sell as well. Prices have also fallen compared to last year, so farmers are faced with challenges on nearly every possible front. Crop insurance will help many farmers, but the low wheat prices currently being offered will mean lower insurance payouts, too.