By Kristin Kveno
The Land Staff Writer
February 13, 2008 02:47 pm
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“We will have seed available.”
That statement from Capistran Seed Co. owner Wayne Capistran will be music to many wheat producers’ ears. This year wheat seed has become increasingly difficult to come by and almost impossible to buy any new varieties at this point.
Capistran Seed started in 1992 and is an AgriPro associate; they also process seed for Legend Seed and do custom cleaning for local producers. Capistran also farms just outside of Crookston. Besides selling wheat, Capistran Seed also sells soybean seed. All wheat seed sold at Capistran Seeds is certified.
According to Capistran, with each new variety of wheat there is a new and better disease package that protects the crop. Two wheat varieties, Kuntz and Kelby, have been popular this year at Capistran Seeds. Kuntz offers high yields and Kelby has an excellent protein package and straw strength.
Capistran has received a lot of calls from producers interested in the new North Dakota State University variety Faller and the new University of Minnesota variety RB07, though both are sold out.
“With the new varieties there are usually not a lot available — it sells out early,” Capistran said.
While Capistran will have seed this spring, it won’t be the new varieties. “The new varieties are sold out, the older varieties will be available,” he said.
According to Capistran the number of wheat acres in the northwestern part of the state will be up. Those who want seed aren’t just from the Crookston area, “we have people call from at least a hundred mile a radius around us,” Capistran said.
The seed supply is being sold earlier this year. According to Capistran, producers are buying earlier to get the products they want. While he hasn’t encountered any customers new to wheat, he has found that more producers are dedicating a larger percentage of their total crop acres to wheat this year.
Capistran’s advice to those wanting to plant wheat is to “get your seed lined up.” He also advises letting your seed dealer know your intentions so that they can get the product for you in time.
Being in the seed industry since 1950, Sawvell Seeds knows a little something about seed. Sawvell, located in Clements, works with Gold Country for soybean production and conditions its own wheat, oats, barley, rye, soybean and corn seed.
Certified and registered seed is the “only thing we sell,” said Ron Sawvell, president of Sawvell Seeds. Some of the popular wheat varieties Sawvell is selling this year are Granger, Briggs and Granite. They have already sold out of the U of M’s RB07, which was in limited supply.
With only 120 bushels of seed left in their inventory, Sawvell estimates that the seed will all be sold out by the end of the day. “There is definitely more demand this year,” Sawvell said. More demand along with a smaller seed supply this year has made wheat seed a precious commodity. Sawvell is seeing more producers interested in growing wheat, “mainly because of the price.”
“We had a fair supply of our own production but have purchased wheat from up north and from South Dakota. We have purchased more beyond our regular production this year than we have in the past,” Sawvell said.
Sawvell doesn’t know what the wheat prices have in store — “what I have been hearing, the experts don’t know.” With rising wheat prices currently, selling wheat seed is a pretty nice deal.
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