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Michigan wheat farmer says it’s a wet start to harvest
The Chairman of the Michigan Wheat Program says he’s starting to see the impacts of recent flooding in early harvested wheat fields.
Dave Milligan tells Brownfield his Cass City farm in the Thumb was in the band of massive storms that rolled across the region in mid-June. “It varied between five and a half and eight inches within a week. That’s what started the issues with the wheat not being at a good test weight. We were probably hurt more with some of our other crops especially our dry beans and maybe even some soybeans.”
He says hot and humid conditions are leading to quality issues and high moisture content. “It’s easy to be pessimistic. I think we’ll be until August harvesting, but I know in reality it will warm up and we’ll get some dry weather, some winds, and wheat will get ready to thrash.”
In USDA’s July 1st Small Grains forecast, total winter wheat production is expected about 30 percent lower for the state and the crop is advancing about 12 percent behind last year.
AUDIO: Interview with Dave Milligan
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