Montana Winter Wheat Harvest Starts

Montana Winter Wheat Harvest

Reports are the winter wheat harvest in Montana has started, according to the Montana Crop Weather Report issued Monday at the Montana Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Approximately 4 percent of the state's winter wheat harvest is complete, in contrast to 2 percent during the same time period last year. This is far behind the five-year winter wheat harvest average in Montana, which usually stands at 25 percent at this time.

So far farmers are rating the Montana winter wheat crop at 41 percent good and only 36 percent fair.

Close to 30 percent of the Montana spring wheat crop is turning according to the report, in comparison to 46 percent last years at the same time. That is faring a little better, with farmers rating the spring wheat crop at 47 percent good, while 31 percent is rated as fair.

The conditons of range and pasture feed are down about five percent from last year, with 39 percent being rated as good, a decline from 44 percent last year during the same period.

Dry conditions have causes pastures to dry up.

Montana Winter Wheat Harvest