Area Wheat Harvest Profitable
By: Jennifer Penate
Updated: June 5, 2012
Farmers harvest up to double the amount of wheat produced in a normal year.
Farmers say the good harvest means an overall economic boost.
Longtime farmer Clint Fletcher says old man winter did a favor for farmers in Southeast Kansas this year.
"Last year's wheat crop was good but this year is better," says Fletcher.
A barely-there winter and dry spring gave Fletcher a healthier wheat crop with more bushels per acre. Better than in the past 10 years.
"It's vital to grow a good crop at least once in a while," says Fletcher.
Farming experts in Cherokee County add there was one more factor that helped produced a good crop.
"Very little disease on our wheat and that's normally as a situation that we have in Cherokee County, lots of disease," says Dennis Elbraider with the K-State Extension Office in Columbus, Ks.
That was not the case this year. Proved by the increase of wheat bushels harvested this season.
"County average normally is about 40-45 bushels per acre," says Elbraider.
Compare that to what they're seeing in 2012.
"Seeing and hearing yields from the mid 40s up as high as 90 bushels," says Fletcher.
Meaning more profit for Fletcher and other area farmers.
"Just like any other business, we need to turn a profit," says Fletcher.
Wheat is known as a cash-flow crop. Profit earned from it is used to cover expenses for cash crops like soy beans and corn.
"For this time of year and going into harvest, I would say the prices are fairly strong a lot of better than they could be," says Fletcher.
On top of the extra wheat farmers are taking to market - they are making more money per bushel as well.
The prices they're getting aretwenty cents a bushel higher than this time last year with har whear at $8/bushel.
