With Wheat Harvest Rolling in Most Areas of Oklahoma- the Wheat Commission Calls Harvest 45 Percent Complete

 

The Oklahoma Wheat harvest continues to progress in most regions of the state with the exception of far Northwestern and Panhandle areas. Early test cuttings have been accepted at Shattuck this afternoon with reports of one sample at 14.9% moisture. Elevator managers and producers are hopeful, harvest will begin in this region tomorrow. Two weeks since first cuttings were accepted down at Frederick, OK, harvest has been progressing rapidly across the state with the hot dry temperatures. Favorable proteins and test weights continue to be reported across the state, but early reports on test weights in the far Northern areas of the state are coming in lower than expected on the first cuttings. Producers and elevator managers are hopeful the test weights will rise in this region, and that yields will also be better as harvest progresses. (Harvest in the Northern regions of the state are being reported anywhere from 5 to 15% completed based on locations.) While protein qualities and test weights have been promising for the most part across Oklahoma, lower yields and lack of acres with losses to Cotton and other crops continue to make this an extremely fast-moving harvest. In several locations across the central and Western corridors of the state from Texas to Kansas, many elevator managers have mentioned they hope to take in 10 percent of what they would in a normal year.   As of today, it looks like the May 10th USDA estimates of the Oklahoma Wheat Crop at 2 million acres with a 26 bushel per acre average for a total of 52 million bushels to be harvested in the state will be right on target. This number could come in lower than anticipated based on the increased reports of abandonment.

 

According to Mike Schulte, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, "Based on my conversations with elevator managers, I am calling the state 45% harvested."

 

Here are the speciifc reports that Schulte and the Wheat Commission team checked with:

 

 

Grandfield- Wheat harvest is 95% complete. Proteins have not been as high in this Southern corridor like in other parts of Oklahoma but are still averaging around 11 to 11.5%. Test weights on the wheat have been ranging from 60 to 62 lbs./bu. Yields have ranged all over the board from as low as 15 to as high as 60 bushels per acre, depending on the location. East of Hwy 36, the yields were much higher. West of Hwy 36, yields decline the further west you move. While producers were thankful for the higher reported yields, it is important to note these higher yields will not make up for the losses and lower yields reported in this trade territory of Southwest Oklahoma overall.

 

Duke- Test weights reported in a range from 59 to 60 lbs./bu. Protein averages reported at 13.5%. Yields reported from the mid-teens to the mid 20’s. Harvest reported to be 60% complete.

 

Gotebo- Test weights reported in a range from 59 to 60 lbs./bu. Protein averages 12.5 to 13%. Yields reported in the mid-teens to mid 20’s. Harvest reported to be 50% complete.

 

Hobart- Test weights reported to be averaging 60 lbs./bu. Protein averages reported at 12.5 to 13%. Yields reported in the mid-teens to mid 20’s. Harvest reported to be 50% complete.

 

Lone Wolf- Test weights reported at a 61 lb./bu. average. Protein averages reported at 12.5 to 13%. Yields reported in the mid-teens to mid 20’s. Harvest reported to be 50% complete.

 

Carter- Test weights reported at a 60 lb./bu. average. Protein averages reported at 12.5 to 13%. Yields reported in the mid-teens to mid 20’s. Harvest reported to be 50% complete.

 

Sentinel/Rocky- Test weights have been averaging 62lbs./bu. Yields reported to be making anywhere from 13 to 30 bushels per acre. No proteins have been reported. Harvest is estimated to be 35 to 45% complete in this area.

 

 

 

Okarche- Test weights are averaging 60lbs./bu. Protein average is reported at 12.79%. A lot of 13 to 14% proteins have been reported, with some as high as 16.5%. Yields for the most part ranging from the mid 20’s to the mid 30’s with the occasional report of some coming in at 40 or higher. Harvest around Okarche reported to be 50 to 60% complete.

 

Kingfisher/Omega- Harvest for this area is 60 to 65% completed. Test weights reported from 58 to 62lbs./bu. Yields are reported from the mid 20’s to the mid 30’s. Protein averages are coming in at 12.5%. Grazing did have an impact on yields in this region. Lower yields or complete abandonment start taking place on the Kingfisher/Blaine county lines, due to the severe impacts of the drought. Foreign material is significantly down from previous years, a much cleaner crop is being reported.

 

Loyal- Harvest in this area is 40% complete. Test weights averaging a strong 60lbs./bu. Yields are making in the mid 20’s to the low 30’s for the most part.   Protein averages coming in at 12.5%. Foreign material is significantly down in this region from previous years, a much cleaner crop is being reported.

 

 

Enid- Test weights are ranging all over the board, from 56 to 62 lbs./bu. depending on the variety and location. Proteins are reported to be ranging from 11.5 to as high as 16%. Elevator locations for the most part have been saying that it has not been uncommon to see 13 to 14% protein averages for specific locations, although these numbers might not be completely representative of the overall 2018 crop since only 5 to 25% of the crop has been harvested to date in this area. Yields have been reported all over the board from the mid teens to the mid 30’s.

 

Kremlin/Medford/Nardin/Nash/Renfrow- Early reports from what has been harvested in these locations have test weights ranging from 54.5 to 60lbs./bu. Currently the averages from the region are coming in around that 57.5 to 58.5 lbs./bu. (Harvest is just starting with 5% complete.) Elevators and producers in the area are hopeful test weights will pick up with the better quality wheat. Proteins reported in the 12 to 13% range. Yields on the early harvested wheat ranging from 15 to 30 bushels per acre.