The US winter wheat production area impacted by drought has been reduced following much-needed recent precipitation.
According to the USDA, 23% of the American winter wheat area was being impacted by some form of drought as of Tuesday, down 10 points on the week (see map below). The greatest improvement was in Hard Red Winter country, where scattered showers and thunderstorms fell across about 75% of the production region from Friday through Sunday.
The heaviest amounts fell in parts of the Texas Panhandle and central and southern Oklahoma, with anywhere from 1 to 2.6 inches recorded. However, more than 5 inches was reported in localized pockets.
Despite the improvement in many areas, however, 60-day precipitation totals were still under 25% of normal in southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado, with less than half of normal reported in adjacent areas plus parts of central Kansas, central and northeastern Nebraska, and a few other scattered areas.
Monday’s USDA crop progress report pegged the winter wheat crop in the No. 1 production state of Kansas at 47% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 6 points on the week. That is still below the 55% good to excellent rating the crop received in late November, but does represent a significant improvement from last year, when the Kansas crop was rated just 31% good to excellent.
Additionally, only 17% of the Kansas crop was rated in poor to very poor condition as of Sunday, well down from 31% last year.
The worst rating among the winter wheat production states belongs South Dakota at just 17% good (0% excellent), with Texas and Nebraska coming at 31% and 33% good to excellent, respectively.
Nationally, 49% of the winter wheat crop was rated good to excellent as of Sunday, up 4 points from a week earlier and on par with last year.
