State Wheat Farmers Scramble For Seed

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The state's wheat crop was so poor this year that farmers are scrambling to find seed for next year. Because of the apparent shortage the state Department of Agriculture, Food

Tuesday, August 14th 2007, 10:04 am

By: News On 6


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The state's wheat crop was so poor this year that farmers are scrambling to find seed for next year. Because of the apparent shortage the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is lowering the guaranteed germination standards for wheat sellers.

That means lower quality seed wheat can be sold, but farmers will have to plant more seed per acre to get a stand of wheat.

A very good wheat crop was forecast this year but farmers were hit by a spring freeze, then disease followed by weeks of heavy rain and flooding.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently estimating Oklahoma farmers will produce 116 million bushels of wheat this year but state Wheat Commission Director Mark Hodges believes that number is too high.

Certified wheat seed dealer Joe Caughlin of Tonkawa called a Kansas counterpart seeking a source of wheat seed for next year's crop.

``They wouldn't even quote me a price,'' Caughlin said. ``Even up there they were hit with some of the same extremes.''

The agriculture department also has set up a toll free hotline that licensed seed wheat dealers and farmers looking for seed can call. The hotline, available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, can be reached at (800) 580-6543.

``After talking with producers and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, we felt we had to respond to this problem,'' said Terry Peach, state secretary of agriculture. ``Wheat is our fourth largest agricultural crop in terms of sales and is critical to our state's beef industry for grazing.''

The state agriculture department also is setting up an online directory that will list information about available seed wheat, including variety, quantity available, contact information and location. The directory should be available by Wednesday at the agriculture department's Web site at www.oda.state.ok.us.
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