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Central South Dakota wheat has been “really good”
The general manager of Oahe Grain Corporation in central South Dakota says a good winter wheat harvest is wrapping up and promising spring wheat harvest has begun.
Tim Luken tells Brownfield a lot of grain elevators in the area are full of winter wheat.
“I just got off the phone with a few farmers today and they said three of major elevators in this area were full and it’s a protein game. No one is accepting low protein winter wheat,” he says. “We took in 1.5 million bushels of winter wheat at the elevator so far. For protein, we’re averaging about 11.8% and I’m pleasantly surprised with that, because yields around here are ranging from 60 bushels/acre to more than 100 bushels/acre.”
He says some grain elevators are only taking winter wheat at a certain protein level and the rest of it will have to be stored on-farm.
“I had to take one of my corn bins and I put winter wheat in it. I’ve got to do a lot of juggling around between now and the first part of October to get that thing empty. I won’t be taking any winter wheat until I get that done.”
Luken says spring wheat started coming into the elevator on Monday and it’s got good test weight and color.
“I’m hoping protein will average 14%. Right now, the lowest we’ve dumped is 13.5% and the highest we’ve dumped is 17%. But we’re just getting started.”
He says spring wheat harvest will likely wrap up in the next few weeks. USDA said at the end of July, South Dakota’s winter wheat was 63% harvested and 8% of the spring wheat was harvested.
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