Whitman County crop yield dips below 10-year average

COLFAX — As harvest season gets underway in the Palouse region, farmers are reporting an unimpressive crop yield in the face of high heat and low precipitation.

Cory Christensen, Grain Merchant at Northwest Grain Growers, expressed his concerns about the adverse effects of the lack of timely rains and early spring heat on this year’s wheat crop.

He stated, “We’ve seen yields reduced to 75-85% of the 10-year average and elevated proteins in the areas in those same fields.”

The reliance on non-irrigated moisture makes the region susceptible to the whims of the weather, necessitating a constant s...