Crops in Oklahoma are suffering

May 5, 2009      Enid News and Eagle

Kasey Fowler

May 5, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Wheat crop assessment continues across the state, with various experts looking at damage from drought, freeze, hail and heavy rains.

Mike Schulte, executive director of Oklahoma Wheat Commission, said right now there hasn't been a monetary estimate on total damages.

"We will have more information Wednesday after the meeting of the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association in Oklahoma City," he said.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the condition of the state wheat crop continues to suffer.

Seventy percent of the crop statewide is rated in poor to very poor shape. Another 22 percent is rated fair, with just the remaining 8 percent rated good.

Those figures compare to early April reports -- compiled before the April 6 freeze -- that showed 1 percent of the wheat crop was rated excellent and 24 percent good. Another 38 percent was rated fair, while 37 percent was rated poor or very poor.

In southwestern Oklahoma, the wheat crop was almost completely destroyed.

"People have just abandoned fields at this point," Schulte said. "There is 80 to 90 percent damage in some fields. It is a field-by-field study."

The southwest was hit hard by drought, then the April freeze caused more damage, he said.

"Some of the fields planted later looks better with the water and cool temperatures," Schulte said. "The plant was stressed so much during the drought time even the secondary tillers are still small."

In the Enid area, there is heavy freeze damage to some fields, but others are in good condition, he said.

"There is a lot of damage in central Oklahoma in Kingfisher County. There is lots of freeze damage," he said. "Around Enid and Lahoma and north, it is a little better, but there is a lot of factors that are going to go in to see if we will have a crop in those areas. We will need moisture and cooler weather. We hope those regions can help bail the rest of the state out."

Hail damage affected northern Oklahoma wheat crops.

"In the northern part of the state, crops have been looking good, but they have been hit by hail," Schulte said. "Okeene and west of Alva have had a lot of hail. Places that had been looking good, some got hit by hail."

The damage can be difficult to assess in the beginning, he said, because the damage may not show for weeks.

"Wheat is a funny thing," Schulte said. "It can take two or three weeks to see the damage. We know the damage exists. It is going to be extremely hard on producer that don't have crop insurance."

Estimates on damage from around the state will be compiled Wednesday.

"On Wednesday at the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association meeting, data from several wheat tours will be compiled," Schulte said. "We hope to have a better grip on the potential economic impact after the meeting. We will have data behind the facts."

According to Oklahoma Agricultural Statistics 2008, which is issued by National Agricultural Statistics Service and Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, winter wheat was the No. 4 agricultural commodity in the state 2004-07, with an average value of $495 million during those four year. In two of the years, 2006 and 2007, the amount of wheat harvested was well below normal due to damage from a variety of weather conditions, including drought in 2006 and freeze damage in 2007.

Newstex ID: 34655120

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