Wheat harvest is now underway in Kansas.
Harvest moved into southern Kansas about a week ago, but since then it has been slow going. Scattered showers and high humidity mean that most days, combines can't get rolling until the late afternoon. According to the Kansas Wheat Commission, there are a few reports that farmers have gotten into dry fields along the I-135 corridor as far north as Mitchell County.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Kansas wheat harvest is only 3 percent complete, well behind 25 percent complete last year and behind 11 percent on average.
Farmers Coop Gran Association General Manager Chris Stevens says harvest began last Monday, June 9th in the Conway Springs area, but it has been hit or miss. They’ve only taken in about 10% of the bushels they expect, but should be halfway complete by now. So far, it’s too early and too spotty to tell how test weights are going to average, but they’ve heard yield reports from 26 to 50 bushels per acre, which would be an average crop.
Delays are expected to continue as the National Weather Service in Wichita is forecasting thunderstorms across the harvest area this afternoon. Winds up to 80 mph, hail up to tennis ball size and heavy rainfall are all possible.
