Harvest wrapping up; lower yields this year

DAYTON–A dearth of moisture is the culprit in the 2023 small grains harvest being below average, according to Jacob Forsman, Northwest Grain Growers Dayton office manager, said this week, but the crop didn't turn out as bad as expected.

Harvest is about 85% complete, he said, and this year's yields are coming in about 20% below average.

"It's a smaller crop than last year," Forsman said, pointing out that the 2022 wheat crop was a "very, very, very big crop. Overall, it was not as bad as we thought it would be."

There was very little rain in May, and none in June and July, he added.

"The spring crops suffered, but we made it," Forsman said.

Test weights, overall, were about normal, sometimes maybe a pound or two over average, he said.

Protein came in higher than normal, although he points out that some varieties and regional variations surprised some producers. Interestingly, areas which typically experience higher rainfall did better on protein, despite the fact that the moisture wasn't there, Forsman said.

Prices are not the greatest at the moment, he added.