Report: Kansas wheat quality down with just 73 percent of 2014 crop getting top grade

A government report shows the quality of this year's Kansas wheat crop down from 2013, with just 73 percent of samples graded by grain inspectors getting the top No. 1 grading.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service said Tuesday that 85 percent of last year's Kansas crop was graded as No. 1 wheat.

Determinations of test weights, protein content, grade and defects were made by the Kansas Grain Inspection Service based on 8,036 samples from 49 counties.

The report says about 26 percent of the wheat was graded this year as No. 2 wheat, compared with 14 percent last year. One percent this year was graded No. 3 or below.

Average test weight was 60.5 pounds per bushel. Protein content averaged 13.4 percent, an improvement from last year.