2019 Colorado Wheat Harvest Update

Final Colorado Wheat Harvest Report – August 8, 2019

Colorado wheat harvest is coming to a close. According to the August 2nd U.S. Wheat Associates Harvest Report, harvest in Colorado was 94% complete. As of today, we are calling Colorado wheat harvest 98% complete.

Roggen Farmers Elevator in Weld County reports to be mostly complete, with a few fields still left to be cut. Numbers in this area have remained the same, with test weights above 60 pounds and average protein around 11%.

Cargill-Byers reports to be about 95% complete. Test weights are ranging 58-64 pounds, with protein ranging from 8.5-13.5%.

West Plains in Johnstown reports to be in the last part of harvest and anticipates to be finished within the next week. Average test weights have been around 61 pounds and average protein has been around 11%.

July 31, 2019 

Wheat harvest in Colorado is slowly wrapping up, with USDA-NASS reporting 80% completion on July 28th. This is 16% behind this time last year and 12% behind the five year average.

Flagler Coop reports to be 98% complete. Test weights at its five locations averaged between 61-62 pounds and protein averaged 10.2%. Yields in this area ranged between 50 and 80 bushels per acre.

Cargill-Byers reports an average test weight of 60 pounds, with average protein at 10.5%. They report to be 80% complete, and anticipate to finish up early to middle of next week.

Roggen Farmers Elevator in Weld County reports to be 90% complete, saying that this has been a very good harvest overall. Test weights have consistently been above 60 pounds and average protein has been around 11%. The average yield in the area has been around 55 bushels per acre.

CHS Grainland in northeastern Colorado reports to be about 98% complete, with an average test weight of 61 pounds and average protein of 10%. Average yield in the area has been between 65-70 bushels per acre.

July 24, 2019

Colorado wheat harvest made huge strides in the past week as it jumped from 22% harvested on July 16th to 65% harvested on July 21st, according to USDA.  As of today, we are calling Colorado harvest 70% complete.

Harvest in Southeastern Colorado is nearly complete, with only the latest fields left to be cut in Baca and Prowers counties.  Farther north in Cheyenne county, harvest was slowed with rains last Saturday, but growers were able to get back into fields on the 23rd and should finish up by this weekend.  Some growers have had their best yields and test weights ever.  Protein levels range from 8-13% with most averaging between 10% and 11%.

Harvest in Northeastern Colorado has been in full swing for the past week.  Elevators in the area report being between 20% and 80% complete.  As elevation rises moving West, there are more green patches and harvest isn’t quite as far along.

Frontier Ag in Burlington expects harvest to finish by tomorrow with test weights still excellent at 63-65 pounds/bushel and protein ranging from 9-13%.

CHS Grainland, with eight locations across the far northeastern counties, reported being about 50% complete, with test weight averaging 61 pounds/bushel, protein averaging 9.9% and yields of 70 bushels/acre common.  Brian Starkebaum, current President of the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, said a new hard white wheat on his farm averaged 85 bushels/acre, 61 pound test weight, and 11.5% protein.

Roggen Farmers Elevator in Weld county reports harvest being about 40% complete, with some fields yielding as low as 30 bushels/acre due to some freeze damage from the May 22nd event, up to 70 bushels/acre on the better fields.  Yields should average about 55 bushels/acre across the area, which is about 20 bushels up from last year.  Proteins are ranging from 8-11%, but test weights are consistently above 60 pounds/bushel.  Brad Warren, current President of the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation who farms near Keenesburg, started harvest last Friday, with 50-70 bushel yields, 12% moisture, 58 pound test weight, and 14.8% protein on the first fields.

Growers across portions of Weld, Morgan, Logan and Washington counties are reporting lodging, in some cases severe, from Wheat Stem Sawfly cutting.  Some newly affected areas in Yuma and Phillips counties are starting to report damage as well.  Our weather forecast is for mostly dry conditions with highs in the low-mid 90s for the next week which should allow harvest to progress quickly.

July 16, 2019

According to the July 14th USDA NASS Colorado Crop Progress Report, Colorado is 22% harvested. Crop condition remains good overall, with 82% rated good to excellent, 14% fair and 4% poor to very poor. Many farmers and elevators have stated this is the latest they have ever seen harvest start, with it being 53% behind last year, and 36% behind the five year average.

Harvest is slowly starting to wrap up in the southeastern part of the state, where Baca County is estimated to be about 80% complete. Numbers are staying the same, with test weights ranging 58.5-60.3 pounds and protein ranging 10.5-12.5%.

Harvest started to pick up over the July 13th weekend further north in Kit Carson County. Elevators in the area have reported test weights ranging 63-65 pounds with protein ranging 10-13%. The area is about 25% complete, however rain has caused delays.

Washington County is seeing slow progress due to rain, as well as hail. Elevators reported an average test weight of 61 pounds and average protein around 10%.

Parts of Northeastern Colorado are starting to see activity. Farmers in Morgan County started cutting on July 15th. Farmers in the area reported yields ranging 40-60 bushels/acre, with test weights ranging 61-62 pounds. Elevators in Phillips County started seeing trucks come in on July 12 and activity continued to pick up over the weekend. Farmers and Elevators reported test weights ranging 59-61 pounds, with protein ranging 9.8-11.1%.

Farmers are starting to test cut in the northern part of Lincoln County, however there is still some green wheat in the area. Further west along the I-70 corridor in Adams and Arapahoe Counties, farmers expect to start cutting July 16th or 17th.

July 12, 2019

Colorado wheat harvest is continuing to progress and move north. Colorado is approaching 20% completion according to the July 12th U.S. Wheat Harvest Report.

Harvest in Cheyenne County is in full force, with an uptick in activity on July 11th. The area is seeing test weights ranging 59-61 pounds and protein ranging 10-11%. Yields have been between 50-70 bushels/acre.

Some farmers in Kit Carson County started cutting around July 6th, however elevators in the area reported activity picked up around July 11th. Preliminary numbers show test weights around 60 pounds, with protein ranging 9-12%. Elevators expect to see more activity over the weekend.

Washington County also saw activity on July 11. Elevators reported a preliminary, average test weight of 62.1 pounds and average protein of 9%. Producers in the Byers area expect to start harvest on July 15th, while producers in the northern part of Lincoln County expect to start around July 17th.

July 9, 2019

Harvest in Colorado saw some progress over the July 4th holiday and into the weekend. According to the July 7th USDA-NASS Colorado Crop Progress Report, Colorado is 10% harvested. The overall crop condition is 84% good to excellent, 15% fair, and 4% poor to very poor.

Harvest is still in full force in southeastern part of the state. Farmers and elevators in Baca County believe to be about halfway done with harvest. They reported yields between 40-60 bushels/acre, with test weights ranging 58.5-60.3 pounds and protein ranging 10.5-12.5%.

Harvest is progressing slowly in Prowers County due to high humidity in the area. So far the average test weight has been around 61 pounds, with average protein around 11%.

Harvest in Kiowa and Cheyenne Counties started to pick up on July 5th. Elevators reported yields ranging 50-60 bushels/acre, with test weights ranging 58-60 pounds and protein ranging 9-11%. Elevators noted that most of this wheat came from south of Cheyenne Wells. They expect northern Cheyenne County and southern Kit Carson County to start cutting mid-week.

There are reports that harvest has started in the southern part of Lincoln County. Preliminary numbers show yields between 30-50 bushels/acre, with test weights ranging 58-60 pounds and protein ranging 11-12.5%.

Northeastern Colorado anticipates harvest will start around July 15th at the earliest.

July 3, 2019

According to the June 30th USDA NASS Colorado Crop Progress Report, Colorado is 1% harvested. This is 18% behind last year, and 8% behind the 5-year average due to cooler and wetter spring weather conditions. Crop condition remains very good overall, with 78% classified good to excellent, and only 17% in fair condition and 5% poor to very poor.

Harvest in southeastern Colorado started over the June 29th weekend. Farmers and elevators in Baca County reported test weights ranging from 58-63 pounds and protein ranging from 8.8 – 11%. They also reported yields ranging from 30 bushels/acre on some hailed fields, up to 80 bushels/acre on dryland production.

Further north in Prowers County, some farmers started cutting on July 1. Very preliminary numbers showed an average test weight of 61.3 pounds/bushel and average protein of 12.7%. The area received rain on Monday night, which led to delays on Tuesday.

Cheyenne and Kiowa Counties have not seen much activity yet, but expect to start around July 4th or 5th. Northeastern Colorado is still running about 10-14 days later than normal.

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