Wheat prices jump on Montana drought news.
A recent jump in spring wheat payments have been a light at the end of a tunnel for grain farmers, except in northeast Montana, where it’s become a drought-driven train.
Half the state’s spring wheat crop was rated poor to very poor Wednesday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The five-year average for poor to very poor quality in early July is eight percent.
Roughly 45 percent of its spring wheat is grown in northeastern Montana counties anchored by the Hi-line community of Glasgow, which had six percent of its normal rainfall in June.
For much of the area, last month was the third driest June on record, according to the National Weather Service station in Glasgow.
Last Wednesday, NWS warned pilots that poor air density related to high temperatures would make it difficult for planes to climb and that more runway would be needed for taking off as a heat wave pushed temperatures into the high 90s and the 100-degree range.
In the Fort Benton area, Mike O’Hara said farmers who seeded spring wheat in March are looking at a good crop.
Montana has benefited from unexpected jumps in price in recent years as drought hit other wheat growing regions of the world.
Both Russia and Australia have suffered droughts in recent years that boosted prices to the benefit of Montana grain farmers.