MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Record-breaking high temperatures across the region could have an impact on local agriculture.
Brian Wong, President of BKW Farms in Marana, says these unseasonably warm temperatures are not great for their crop’s development.
"Farming - it all depends on the weather, you only have one chance to plant it, and you only have one chance to harvest," Wong said.
Wong is a third-generation farmer and runs BKW Farms in Marana. The longstanding farm is known for its grains and mushrooms. The mushrooms are inside, so they are not impacted by the weather, but wheat is a different story.
Wong says wheat is usually planted in late December or early January and then harvested in June or July.
"That wheat actually needs cooler weather, even freezing temperatures, for it to develop fully,” Wong said. “So when we’re hitting 100 degrees here in March, it really stunts the plant’s growth and probably will impact the grain development on the plant.”
He says it is hard to determine the exact impact at this time.
"If the plant has been severely damaged or it wasn’t able to fully form the wheat, you’ll actually start seeing empty wheat heads in the field. We can kind of notice that April or May time," Wong said.
He says they plan for the future as best as they can and try to keep a six to nine-month supply of wheat in storage.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
