Kansas Drought Lifts Bushel Weights, Protein

MANHATTAN - Jul 10/02 - SNS -- Though yields have been sharply reduced by this year's drought, the quality of wheat grown in Kansas this year appears to be unusually good, according to data compiled from recent field tours by the Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas Agricultural Statistics and Kansas Grain Inspection Service.

Based on the data from 2600 rail car samples, in 47 Kansas counties, the wheat moving in commercial channels after harvest is surprisingly heavy, says David Frey, Kansas Wheat Commission Administrator.

A bushel container of the average Kansas Hard Red Winter wheat this summer weighs 60.3 pounds compared with the ten-year average of 60.0 pounds. Sixty pounds is the official standard for the grade number one Hard Red Winter wheat. Dockage, easily removed non-wheat material, is only 0.5% this year, compared to 0.8% last year.

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