Each harvest season, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission releases wheat harvest reports as information becomes available about that year's wheat harvest. The combines have started and wheat has been harvested and taken to the elevators in portions of the Oklahoma Wheat Belt. The first official report of the season was released by Executive Director Mike Schulte on Tuesday afternoon, May 31st. Here is the report as released by the OWC:
"Harvest continued to move along in parts of Central Oklahoma on Memorial Day weekend, with producers in Southwest Oklahoma trying to get into the fields with many battling mud from the previous rains before the weekend. Current predictions from elevator managers in Southwest Oklahoma are reporting 1/10th of the harvest to be complete from Central Texas to Southwest Oklahoma.
"Test weights on the wheat being harvested in all locations reported from Southwest to Central Oklahoma are ranging anywhere from 61 to 65lbs./bu, (78.5kg/hl-83.6kg/hl). With many reports coming in above the 63 lbs./bu, (81.0kg/hl). Yields on wheat harvested coming into locations in Southwest Oklahoma yesterday were reported 35-50 bushels per acre with some yield reports coming in as high as 60 bushels per acre. Yields on wheat in central Oklahoma around the Kingfisher and Okarche area also coming in with favorable reports making anywhere from the mid 30’s to the mid 50’s with reports favoring the higher yields of the mid 40’s to the mid 50’s.
"Protein reports have been ranging all over the board with some reports around the 9% range with reports in other regions having some proteins as high as 15%. Currently overall reports from early samples across the state are averaging 11%.
"Harvest was basically at a standstill today in all regions. Parts of Central Oklahoma received as much as one inch of moisture earlier this morning. In parts of Western Oklahoma around the Clinton area a couple producers were starting to fire up the combines this afternoon, but higher humidity levels and predicted rains for later this afternoon and evening will most likely hinder harvest from progressing any further today in most places.
"Reports on the wheat being harvested today on early samples were also showing very favorable test weights, but no yields have been reported.
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