Milling & Baking News - October 3, 2023 - 34

TUES | 10 03 202 3
Wheat in bins (or nearly so) has
slightly lower protein, test weight
KANSAS CITY - The 2023 US winter
wheat harvest is in the books, and the
spring wheat harvest is within spitting
distance of the finish line. Weather challenges
have slowed the northern durum
harvest, but collection was poised to wrap
up in a few weeks. Laboratory analysis of
hundreds of samples of each variety indicated
hard wheat crops had slightly lower
average protein and average test weight
but higher falling numbers compared
with 2022. Hard red spring, northern
durum, soft red winter and soft white
crops matched their respective average
grades in 2022 while the average hard red
winter wheat grade dropped compared
with last year.
The soft red winter wheat crop was the
first wheat harvest in the books this year.
US Wheat Associates issued its final harvest
report Aug. 4 and noted vomitoxin
(DON) levels were lower than in 2022 and
sharply lower than the five-year average.
Great Plains Analytical Laboratory said
with 232 of 250 expected samples delivered
and tested, the 2023 soft red winter
wheat crop averaged 9.2% in protein
(9.7% in 2022, 9.5% as the recent five-year
average), 35.8 grams in thousand kernel
weight (32.9 grams, 32.7 grams), 60.2 lbs
per bu in test weight (60.1 lbs, 58.9 lbs)
and 318 seconds in falling number (327
seconds, 309 seconds). The average grade,
No. 1 soft red winter wheat, matched last
year's average and surpassed No. 2 soft
red winter as the recent average.
Producers in America's breadbasket,
the central and southern Great Plains,
completed combining of the 2023 hard red
winter wheat crop in early September,
and US Wheat issued its final harvest
report for the variety on Sept. 15. Perhaps
of most interest to hard wheat millers and
pan bread bakers was the determination
that the crop had a lower average protein,
lower average test weight and lower average
grade compared with 2022. Protein
content and test weight averages also fell
below the average of the 2018-22 crops.
Falling number improved from 2022
but fell short of the average. The average
grade was down from both last year and
the average.
Plains Grains Inc., a private, nonprofit
wheat marketing organization, indicated
that with 462 of an expected 475
samples tested, the crop averaged 12.6%
protein (13% in 2022, 11.6% as the five-year
average), 29.9 grams in thousand kernel
weight (31.4 grams, 31.3 grams), 59.9 lbs
per bu in test weight (61 lbs, 60.9 lbs) and
365 seconds in falling number (361 seconds,
370 seconds). The average grade in
2023, No. 2 hard red winter wheat, fell
short of the No. 1 hard red winter wheat
average grade both in 2022 and as the fiveyear
average.
The US soft white wheat crop also
wrapped in early September in time for
a final report issued Sept. 15. With 385 of
an expected 390 samples from those states
analyzed by Wheat Market Center, the
crop averaged 11% in protein (9.5% in 2022,
10% as the five-year average), 32.5 grams
in thousand kernel weight (34.8 grams,
34.6 grams), 60.2 lbs per bu in test weight
(61 lbs, 61.1 lbs) and 333 seconds in falling
34 MILLING & BAKING NEWS
number (340 seconds, 327 seconds). The
average grade, No. 1 soft white wheat,
matched last year and the average.
The hard red spring wheat crop was
nearly wrapped with less than 4% remaining
in fields by Sept. 24. Completion by
that date was 95% in North Dakota (93% a
year earlier, 95% as the 2018-22 average
progress for the date), 95% in Montana
(100%, 95%), 99% in Washington (99%, 97%)
and 93% in Idaho (96%, 98%). Minnesota
spring wheat growers collected the crop
ahead of both last year's pace and the fiveyear
average pace. South Dakota producers
binned the final bushels a week earlier,
matching their 2022 pace and beating
the five-year average progress of 99%.
With 346 of an expected 445 samples
(77%) collected and analyzed at North
Dakota State University's Hard Red Spring
Wheat Quality Laboratory in Fargo, the
crop was averaging 14.2% in protein (14.3%
in 2022, 14.6% as the five-year average),
33.8 grams in thousand kernel weight
(30.4 grams, 30.7 grams), 60.9 lbs per bu in
test weight (62.1 lbs, 61.5 lbs) and 410 seconds
in falling number (386 seconds, 375
seconds). The average grade in 2022, 2023
and the previous five years was the same:
No. 1 northern spring.
US Wheat in its Sept. 22 report said
the average falling number represents a
" sound crop " and that the average grade
was derived from an average vitreous
kernel content of 58%.
The northern durum crop was behind
normal pace for development thanks to
sporadic precipitation, cooler nights and
shorter days. By Sept. 24, North Dakota
durum was 86% harvested, ahead of 83% a
year earlier but behind 90% as the 2018-22
average for the date. Montana durum by
Sept. 24 was 95% harvested, advancing
from 88% a week earlier.
With 74 of an expected 128 samples
tested at NDSU's Durum Wheat Quality
Laboratory, the crop was averaging 11.2%
in moisture (11% in 2022, 11.3% as the
recent five-year average), 14.1% in protein
(13.7%, 14.4%), 61.1 lbs per bu in test weight
(61.8 lbs, 61.1 lbs) and 406 seconds in falling
number (433 seconds, 399 seconds).
The average grade, No. 1 hard amber
durum, matched the 2022 average and
that of the most recent five crop years. MBN
bakingbusiness.com
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Milling & Baking News - October 3, 2023

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