Rains stall winter wheat seeding in Great Plains

[September 22, 2009]    WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- Widespread rain across parts of the Great Plains is keeping farmers from planting winter wheat and harvesting other fall crops.

A report released Monday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported wheat seeding is lagging in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Kansas farmers have planted 9 percent of their 2010 winter wheat. Seventeen percent has normally been planted in the state by this time. Seventeen percent is seeded in Oklahoma compared to the normal 25 percent.

But winter wheat planting is only slightly behind the five-year average when the 18 top wheat-producing states are factored in.

Texas farmers have 32 percent of their wheat fields seeded; Nebraska has 56 percent planted. South Dakota growers have half their wheat acreage seeded.

[Associated Press]

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