Post by Hobbyfarmer on Jan 23, 2012 9:13:38 GMT -5
Swing State Texas Facing Poor Wheat Harvest
Severe drought in Texas will lead to a poor harvest in 2012 as a large share of wheat planted will be abandoned.
Texas wheat has declined with the return of dry weather to the Southern Great Plains. The good-excellent Texas wheat fell to only 22% January 15. Poor-very poor wheat comprised 56% of Texas wheat, and the worst conditions since November 20.
Poor wheat conditions do not bode well for the new harvest. February is the time when producers decide whether to keep wheat or graze it out to cattle, using the crop as a feed grain. Damaged wheat land, not worth harvesting, may be planted with cotton, sorghum or corn in the spring.
Texas is a swing state in hard red wheat production. In years of drought, the percentage of wheat "abandoned", or not harvested for grain, is very high. Texas wheat losses in the 2005-06 crop season set a record when 75% of planted wheat went un-harvested.
West Texas the state's key wheat area has experienced the driest planting conditions since the mid 1950s with July-December rainfall only 52% of normal. Drought eased from early November to mid December with above-normal rain and snowmelt. It seemed as if the drought was finally resolving. However, very dry weather has resumed, once again, in the past month with re-strengthening of the La Niña .
La Niña Expected to Persist
Severe drought in Texas will lead to a poor harvest in 2012 as a large share of wheat planted will be abandoned.
Texas wheat has declined with the return of dry weather to the Southern Great Plains. The good-excellent Texas wheat fell to only 22% January 15. Poor-very poor wheat comprised 56% of Texas wheat, and the worst conditions since November 20.
Poor wheat conditions do not bode well for the new harvest. February is the time when producers decide whether to keep wheat or graze it out to cattle, using the crop as a feed grain. Damaged wheat land, not worth harvesting, may be planted with cotton, sorghum or corn in the spring.
Texas is a swing state in hard red wheat production. In years of drought, the percentage of wheat "abandoned", or not harvested for grain, is very high. Texas wheat losses in the 2005-06 crop season set a record when 75% of planted wheat went un-harvested.
West Texas the state's key wheat area has experienced the driest planting conditions since the mid 1950s with July-December rainfall only 52% of normal. Drought eased from early November to mid December with above-normal rain and snowmelt. It seemed as if the drought was finally resolving. However, very dry weather has resumed, once again, in the past month with re-strengthening of the La Niña .
La Niña Expected to Persist
