Wheat harvest will be a tough one

As farmers begin entering the harvest fields, the 2026 hard red winter wheat crop will be one for the books.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has already said the wheat crop is the smallest since 1972. One perspective is back then wheat prices rapidly increased shortly afterward as the former Soviet Union unexpectedly entered the market.

Today, Russia is a major exporter of wheat and U.S. farmers look for opportunities. To their credit, wheat organizations continue to push for market access in other countries and for multi-purposing the crop. In the Texas panhandle, growers have been using wheat silage to feed cattle, as the livestock sector has been a bright spot and wheat has always been a good feed source.

No matter where one travels in the High Plains—Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska—the story is a tough one. What looked like a promising crop when farmers drilled seed last fall, slowly faded as expected timely snow and spring rains never showed up. Two unexpected hard freezes late in the growing season robbed any chance of a late miracle.

This isn’t the first freeze the industry has dealt with. The Easter freeze of 2007 killed a promising crop in the central and southern Plains. Producers in some cases were able to go back in the late spring and plant sorghum behind it.

The 1981 spring freeze on May 9 and 10 was devastating to winter wheat particularly in Kansas and Nebraska. An unusually warm spring spurred wheat growth, then the hard freeze caught up with the crop. Many farmers had to run their combines through the fields to prove their losses.

Many stories were told of the disappointment by farmers who reported only harvesting 5 bushels to the acre.

Over the years, when farmers went to town and told businesses they had a bin-buster crop, it carried good news throughout the county. In 2007 and 1981, ag businesses knew those were going to be year to watch every penny.

This year, growers will be put on a list for adjusters who will be helping them with insurance claims.

The ripple effect will be felt throughout the year. Because of a lingering drought, farmers won’t be able to plant a late spring crop as fallowing will make more long-term sense.

Growers will need to work closely with seed companies to secure wheat seed for the fall planting season. Agronomists have said being proactive and starting now is the best way to ensure success.

The 2026 wheat crop is going to be a tough story to follow. Yet, at High Plains Journal, we are continuing our popular All Aboard Wheat Harvest campaign and while expectations are obviously guarded, we hope that readers will continue to check in our crews.

At HPJ we’d also encourage growers to attend Crops and Cattle, Aug. 4 to 6, in Kansas City, where they can continue to learn about the industry.

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].