'Excellent' yields, high-quality grain reported

McCOOK, Neb. — Dryland wheat yields in the 60-to-70 bushels per acre range are being reported as the harvest in Southwest Kansas and Northwest Kansas moves past the halfway point in the Golden Plains of America.

“For the most part, yields are excellent,” said Randy Peters, whose family has extensive wheat acreage in Red Willow and Hitchcock counties. As further confirmation of the wheat crop’s quality, Peters reported test weights of 60 to 64 pounds and protein content levels of 12 to 13.5 percent.

Kyle Sorensen, vice president of grain for Frenchman Valley Farmers Co-Op, said he has heard numerous reports, throughout the area, of dryland wheat yields above 60 bushels per acre level.

Estimating that 60 to 70 percent of the area wheat has been harvested to date, Sorensen predicted that, weather permitting, the harvest will be nearly completed in this area a week from now.

When the wheat crop is looked at as a whole, Sorensen said it appears that the quality and yields in 2017 are slightly better than a year ago.