2003 wheat harvest second only to 1997 crop

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
The wheat harvest of 2003 will go down in the record books as the second largest in history locally, according to managers at area grain cooperatives.

Only the harvest of 1997 was bigger.

Elevator personnel in the area all reported yields of 50-plus bushels per acre and excellent test weights with harvest 99 percent complete Monday.

With elevators in Canton, Lehigh, Canada and Marion, Cooperative Grain & Supply took in 2.9 million bushels of wheat, second only to the 3.2 million bushel received in 1997.

“We didn’t put any grain on the ground, but we had to truck, truck, truck,” said Lyman Adams, general manager.

“This year it was probably the biggest challenge in that the whole center part of Kansas and down into Oklahoma had good crops, so trucks were scarce.”

Adams estimated yields in the Hillsboro area averaged a little more than 50 bushels per acre.

Adams said CG&S went into harvest with all the elevators empty, and has already started moving grain out to prepare room for the fall harvest.

“If we should follow this wheat harvest with a bumper fall harvest, we could have a little storage problem,” he said. “But right now we’re not anticipating any problems.”

Test weights in the area averaged “a little over 60 pounds,” he added. But the most recent rains did lower that average a little.

Adams said cheat was a problem at times, but it was only on isolated fields.

“Overall, it was less of a problem than I had anticipated,” Adams said. “The farmers did a good job of cleaning their wheat, for the most part.”

With prices near $2.60 per bushel, few farmers were opting to sell their wheat immediately, managers said.

“Last year, we had 70 percent of the crop sold before Aug. 31, and right now we’re only at about 30 percent,” Adams said.

In northeastern Marion County, the crop was just as good, if not better.

“The yields in this area probably averaged between 50 and 70 bushels per acre,” said Stan Utting, general manager of Agri-Producers Inc. “1997 was a little bit bigger.”

With locations in Tampa, Durham, Lincolnville, Herington, Gypsum, Ramona and Burdick, API had grain receipts this year totaling 4.2 million bushels.

Average harvest intake, according to Utting, is between 3.1 and 3.3 million bushels.

The elevator at Tampa took in 860,000 bushels.

“We have grain on the ground in three of our locations,” Utting said. “We do have rail service in four of our locations, and we’re shipping grain out now.”

Utting said quality was fair, but dockage was high, thanks to weeds and cheat.

“Test weights were pretty good, for the most part,” Utting said. “The rains on that Sunday took some off the tests, but not too bad.”

With wheat bringing about $2.65 per bushel, Utting said, “There are a lot more guys holding onto the wheat this year than last year.”

He also said if a good fall harvest materializes, much of the milo crop this fall would probably have to go on the ground.

But for now, at least, Utting was pleased.

“For as many bushels as we took in, for the most part, we handled it pretty well.”

At Goessel in southwestern Marion County, Brandon Unruh of Mid-Kansas Cooperative said harvest about 99 percent complete.

The Goessel facility is part of a 28-elevator network in the Mid-Kansas Association.

As was the case in most of Marion County and the surrounding area, yields pleased those associated with the harvest around Goessel.

“This year was better than expected,” Unruh said. “We’ve had some good harvests in this area the past few years, but this one was better than in the past.”

Unruh said the Goessel elevator took in 375,000 bushels.

“We usually take in about 400,000 bushels, but we’re limited in space,” Unruh said. “When we get full, we can’t truck it out fast enough, and we don’t put grain on the ground.”

Unruh estimated yields in the Goessel area to be more than 50 bushels per acre.

“The quality of the wheat was fantastic,” Unruh said. “We averaged about 61 pound test. We had some dockage, but very little.”

Unruh said his location missed the rains that slowed harvest in the Hillsboro area.

Unruh noted that few farmers are selling their crop this year due to the depressed prices.

“With the price so low, people are sitting on their crop,” Unruh said. “With the government programs, you may as well let the price go down as much as you can and take your LDP (loan deficiency payment).

“That’s good for the elevator, too, because storage prices continue,” he said. “And the elevators need that this year.”

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