The condition of the drought-plagued U.S. winter wheat crop managed to hold steady this past week, while spring wheat planting has fallen behind the five-year average pace.
Monday’s weekly USDA crop progress report pegged the nationwide winter wheat crop at 30% good to excellent as of Sunday, unchanged from a week earlier and the first time in three weeks the rating did not decline. Meanwhile, an estimated 19% of the American spring wheat crop was in the ground as of Sunday, up 7 points on the week but behind 28% last year and 22% on average.
Going into today’s report, most traders and analysts were expecting further deterioration in the winter wheat crop, down to 29% good to excellent. Spring wheat planting was expected to be further advanced, at 24% done.
In the No. 1 production state of Kansas, the winter wheat crop was rated 23% good to excellent as of Sunday, down just 1 point from a week earlier. However, that is still 14 points below the state’s early April condition rating. The condition of the Texas crop also declined, down 2 points to 12% good to excellent. On the other hand, the condition of the Oklahoma crop improved 4 points to 14% good to excellent.
The condition of the Soft Red crops in Michigan and Ohio each declined a single point from the previous week, falling to 60% and 66% good to excellent, respectively.
Across the country, 34% of the winter wheat crop had reached the heading stage of development as of Sunday, up 14 points on the week and ahead of 25% last year and 21% on average. The Kansas crop was already 43% headed, 32 points ahead of average, while the Oklahoma crop was 8 points ahead of average at 43% headed.
As for spring wheat planting, progress was particularly slow in Minnesota and the top production state of North Dakota.
North Dakota planting gained 6 points on the week to reach 7% complete as of Sunday, compared to 18% last year and 13% on average. Minnesota planting advanced only 4 points to 6% complete, 6 points behind last year and 10 points behind average.
South Dakota planting jumped 20 points from a week earlier to 48% done as of Sunday, far behind 75% a year ago but near the average of 49%. Montana planting gained 5 points to 24% done, behind 30% last year but slightly ahead of 22% on average.
The national spring wheat crop was 5% emerged as of Sunday, up 3 points from the previous week and 1 point ahead of average.
