Rain Stalls Kansas Harvest

Harvest crews on Tuesday are hoping to get back out in the fielda after widespread rain late Sunday into Monday across Kansas again stalled the winter wheat harvest with nearly a quarter of the state’s crop now in the bin.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that parts of Kansas received a half-inch to 2 inches of rain on Sunday. Some areas are also reporting hail and wind damage.

The report shows 24 percent of the Kansas wheat has now been cut. That is well ahead of the 7 percent reported at the same time last year, but behind the 34 percent average.

About 66 percent of the wheat is mature and ready to harvest. That is typical for late June.

In southwestern Kansas, farmer Jason Ochs said a lot of the best wheat in the area got hailed out Sunday around Syracuse.

Extension agent Tom Maxwell tells KSAL News that central Kansas might be the bright spot in the state. He says that while it might not be a bumper crop, the wheat in this area looks better than in many other parts of the state.