As the winter wheat harvest moves north through South Dakota and into North Dakota and Montana, millers hope those states will harvest higher-protein wheat than what was harvested in Southern Plains states this year.
U.S. Wheat Associates reported Friday that as of July 14, "The average protein of 11.2%, down a full percent from last year, did not change this week and continues to be the major topic of discussion of producers and within the trade. The relatively low-protein values are a result of the exceptional yields in the 2016 crop, much higher yields than growers could have anticipated when applying fertilizer." Samples tested were from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.