USA: Northern Wyoming`s officials view barley crop as good

In northern Wyoming, the barley crop could not be as excellent as in the past two years, but local producers and agriculture officials still are expecting above average harvests, Associated Press communicated on July 29, 2005.

Tim Spadi, area Coors agronomist, would rank average to "above average. "All in all, it's looking really good," he said.

Temperatures that scaled above 100 degrees earlier this month took a toll on some fields, especially in the lower elevations, said Richard Redd, Wyoming regional manager of elevator operations for Bush Agricultural Resources. He said early harvest test samples have shown some heat stress and some fields also received hail damage. However, Redd said, the harvest is looking good, mostly due to timely rains.

He mentioned also that the Anheuser-Busch station west of Ralston would likely be receiving harvested barley over the next two to four weeks

"With all the rain we had, conditions were near ideal, and I expect the yields to be good," said Alan Gray, director of the University of Wyoming Powell Research and Extension Center north of Powell.

Weather permitting, the barley harvest should be about wrapped up by the end of the month.

Mike Bundren, Coors regional manager for Wyoming and Montana, said the company's Ralston receiving station would start operations toward the end of next week.