Harvest "moving right along"

As of press time, harvest in the Odessa area is nearly complete, with both Ritzville Warehouse/The Odessa Trading Company and Odessa Union Warehouse reporting that they are 70 - 80 percent complete.

"It's been moving right along," said Mark Cronrath of The Odessa Trading Company. He added that although yields have been "all over the place," the grain has been of good quality, with good weight and protein levels.

A dry winter, late spring frosts and a hot spell that hit prior to the spring rains have led to yields ranging from the high teens in some areas up to the mid-60s in others. Irrigated land is producing much as usual, from 110-115 bushels per acre.

Cronrath added that the year has been unusual in that harvest has commenced all around the area, rather than in the usual progression from south to north.

Byron Behne of Odessa Union Warehouse reported that farmers from Irby and Lamona were about 80% done as of Tuesday. "It's pretty good overall," he said, although he also reported that frost damage had cut back on yields. Yields are running "better than average, but nothing special," he added.