Milling & Baking News - July 14, 2020 - 10

Business

Quality buoys millers, bakers as
winter wheat harvest peaks
Continued from Page 1

Test weights were variable, ranging
from 54 to 65 lbs per bu, because of a late
harvest summary issued July 3.
Based on 125 early samples taken from spring freeze and more recent hot windy
those areas, 2020 hard red winter wheat weather that occurred during grain fill.
A producer in Decatur County (northwas averaging 62.5 lbs in test weight (60.8
lbs as the 2019 crop average), 11.2% in west Kansas) began harvesting on July
protein (11.3%) and 33 grams in thousand 2, and by July 7, farmers had combined
kernel weight (33.1 grams). The average about half the crop. Protein levels ranged
grade of the samples was No. 1 hard red from 10.3% to 11%. Yields ranged from 35
winter, the same as the 2019 crop average. to 55 bus per acre.
Combining was underway across
As combines worked their way northward, the protein level of the wheat harvest- southern Nebraska, according to the Need began to rise, particularly in northern and braska Wheat Board in its weekly crop
northwest Kansas and eastern Colorado. report issued July 8.
Producers in the south central region
Wheat offers began to feature wheat with
higher protein, and the cash hard red winter of Nebraska said harvesting has begun
wheat basis in Kansas City began to weaken along counties near the Kansas border
across the top two-thirds of
the protein scale.
Millers and bakers
hoped the trend of higher
wheat protein in the later
harvest would continue
as combines move deeper
into Nebraska.
Kansas Wheat in its
15th and 16th daily harvest reports of the season
zeroed in on Gove, Ottawa, Jewell, Ellsworth,
Russell, Republic, Norton
and Decatur counties.
Producers indicated KANSAS WHEAT COMMISSION FACEBOOK/FRIESEN HARVESTING
harvesting in Gove County, in west central Kansas, started June 20- with producers in northern portions of
21 but has been slowed by rain interrup- the region poised to begin combining.
tions. Combining was estimated at about Test weights of harvested wheat have
75% completed. Yields have been below been about 60 lbs per bu. Yields ranged
average, but protein has run above 12% from 30 to 70 bus per acre with the early
average put at about 50 bus per acre.
with test weights averaging about 60 lbs.
Combining has just begun in southeast
Producers in Ottawa County, north central Kansas, said combining was completed. Nebraska with high humidity in the reProtein was high at about 13.8% compared gion slowing early progress.
Growers in the southern panhandle rewith 11.5% in 2019. Yields were average.
The harvest in Jewell County, north cen- gion of Nebraska were just beginning to
tral Kansas, began July 2, well behind the harvest their crop. Test weights of wheat
average date due to wet weather. Yields harvested to date have been 60 to 61 lbs
ranged widely from 20 bus per acre to 70 per bu, and protein was running from
11% to 13%. The wheat board commentand averaged 45 to 55 bus per acre.
A producer in Republic County (north ed, "Overall, it is noted that the wheat
central Kansas) said about 25% of the crop lost a lot of tillers with the hard
wheat in the northern part of the county freeze this year. However, the protein
was harvested by July 8, and wheat in levels seem to be increased due to the hot
the southern part of the county was 50% and dry weather the region experienced."
Combining in southwest Nebraska was
combined. Yields have been in the midnearly completed. This region has been dry
40-bu-per-acre range.
A producer near Norton (northwest for the entire growing season. Elevators
Kansas) began harvesting July 1 and have seen some low test weights. The range
said combining was 40% completed by in test weights has been from 54 to 62 lbs per
July 8. Protein levels ranged from 12.7% bu. Protein has been around 12% to 14%.
to 13.9%. Yields were average but below Yields have been from 30 to 60 bus per acre.
The Colorado Wheat Commission in its
those seen in the previous three years.
10 / July 14, 2020

Milling & Baking News

July 7 harvest update said combining was
accelerating across the state. The largest
wheat-producing county in Colorado is Kit
Carson County. Harvesting there has been
slow and steady, but the pace was picking
up. Protein in the wheat harvested to date
ranged from 12% to 16%, and test weights
have been running between 55 and 60 lbs
per bu. Combining in Washington County
began around July 1. Average protein there
was running around 13%, and test weights
have been averaging around 60 lbs per bu.
The soft red winter wheat harvest was
making excellent progress across much
of the Central states. The USDA said the
winter wheat harvest on July 5 was 86%
completed in Missouri (66% a week earlier), 82% in Illinois (63%), 48% in Indiana
(22%) and 51% in Ohio (1%). Combining
in Michigan was just underway.
Combining around Fostoria, Ohio,
was nearly completed.
Ohio farmers transported
pre-sold new crop wheat
to elevators and mills, and
several even sold heavily
across the scale.
Mill storage was filling
up with some mills now
having inventories and
pipelines to sustain grind
through August or even
September.
The quality of the crop
was said to be excellent. One
miller said the Ohio crop was
the best he has seen in years.
While an early-May freeze
may have reduced yields, it seemed not to
have adversely affected quality.
A soft red winter wheat merchandiser
agreed, saying the excellent quality seen
in Ohio wheat also was typical in wheat
harvested in most nearby states, including Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.
The latest US Wheat Associates weekly
harvest summary issued July 3 reflected
the good quality of the early harvest. As
of that date, based on 58 of 300 intended
samples, US Wheat said 2020 soft red
winter wheat was averaging 60.2 lbs in
test weight (57.9 lbs as the 2019 crop average), 305 seconds in falling number (285
seconds), 34.8 grams in thousand kernel
weight (31.6 grams) and was grading No.
1 soft red winter (No. 3).
The favorable quality was not universal,
though. Wheat in southern Virginia and
northern North Carolina was pummeled
by relentless late-season rains that delayed the harvest to the point where
much of the crop sustained damage from
sprouting, which significantly reduced
falling number values. Mills in those
areas may have to reach out to other regions to secure quality they require. MBN
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Milling & Baking News - July 14, 2020

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