Bigger wheat crop in 2026, but challenges with quality

PULLMAN — There being no perfect harvest, there was both good news and bad news for farmers in the 2026 wheat crop. “It’s been mixed,” said Jessica Pupo, market development specialist for the Washington Grain Commission. “Farmers get paid by the bushel; for example, the average bushel (yield) this year was around 73 bushels per acre when last year it was around 63. We have seen people getting anywhere from 10 to 20% more of a crop, and that’s been good when we’re talking about bushels coming off the field.” While yield per acre is a critical factor, every farmer knows it’s only one factor. “There have been areas of concern with quality. Usually, when you get a higher quantity, quality doesn’t always follow, and that’s really important for our wheat farmers specifically because of our end-use market,” Pupo said. “The protein levels across many different samples have been at about 9%, which is lower than what some of our exporters are looking at, but not every region saw that concern.”