PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — Eastern Oregon wheat growers need some spring rain after a drier than normal winter.
But higher prices would make them even happier.
U.S. wheat farmers have watched the price of their crop tumble from the records highs of 2008. The price for a bushel of soft white winter wheat topped more than $15 back then. Now it’s well under $5.
The prices have motivated farmers in the Midwest and elsewhere to plant corn or soybeans instead. Limited precipitation makes that less of an option in northeast Oregon.
Wheat growers are also planning for the closure of locks for repair on the Columbia and Snake river systems. The maintenance will block barge traffic for 14 weeks beginning in December.
