Agricultural News
Late Planting, Ample Moisture Should Boost Quality of 2014 Wheat Crop, Schulte Says
Thu, 24 Oct 2013 15:48:08 CDT
Hard red winter wheat planting continues across the state and Mike Schulte, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission tells Radio Oklahoma Network's Ron Hays that producers are making excellent progress. (You can listen to their interview by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story. Schulte will also appear on News 9's "In the Field" about 6:40 a.m. Saturday.)
"I'd say we're at 90 percent," Schulte says. "Earlier in the week official statistics showed that 84 percent was planted with 61 percent emerged in the state. I thought those numbers were a little bit high, but driving around central Oklahoma this past week, we're starting to see a lot of that crop emerging. It's extremely small because it's been planted later, but I think it's going to get up and we're going to, maybe, dodge a bullet on this wheat that was planted last week before the colder temperatures coming this next week."
Schulte says with ample rains in the summer, producers were expecting to plant early with expectations of wheat pasture. The rains didn't resume until October and many farmers planted their crop a little later than hoped, working around the rains, reducing the chances for wheat pasture.
Looking back on the 2013 harvest, Schulte says the quality of the crop in Oklahoma was very good.
"The quality of this crop has been really good, especially for the baking industry and the foreign markets. They are really wanting this crop. We've had good mix absorption, good loaf volumes for breads-things that bakers would be looking for.
"Milling characteristics-we have had some kernel-size issues, minor kernel size issues, but, overall, the crop has been good and our foreign markets are wanting that."
Schulte says with Argentina shifting production to corn and soybeans this year, the U.S. crop should make some inroads in South America. Drought issues in Australia will also be a boon for U.S. exports as well.
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