The U.S. winter wheat condition rating weakened again this past week, while national spring wheat planting sped ahead of the average pace.
Monday’s USDA crop progress report put the American winter wheat crop at just 27% good to excellent as of Sunday, down 1 point from the previous week and 25 points below this time last year. The condition of the winter wheat crop has now lost 4 points over the past two weeks, with that portion of the crop rated poor to very poor up to 43%, versus 18% last year.
Meanwhile, spring wheat planting jumped 21 points on the week to reach 53% complete as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of the five-year average but still 10 points behind a year ago.
In the top production state of Kansas, the condition of the winter wheat crop eased 2 points to 15% good to excellent, while the portion rated poor to very poor increased to 58% from 51%.
The condition of the Oklahoma crop showed some modest improvement, climbing to 12% good to excellent from 9% a week earlier. The report showed 48% of the Oklahoma crop in poor to very poor condition, compared to 51% a week earlier.
At 64% good to excellent, the condition of the Soft Red crop in Michigan was up 1 point on the week, while the crop in Ohio improved 4 points to 68%.
Spring wheat planting in North Dakota, which had been earlier slowed by wet and cold weather, jumped 19 points from the previous week to reach 42% complete as of Sunday, ahead of 38% on average but behind 55% last year.
Minnesota planting accelerated even more rapidly, increasing 27 points on the week to 47% done, versus 49% on average and 62% last year. The Montana crop was 54% planted as of Sunday, up from 35% a week earlier and on par with the average, while South Dakota planting was 87% done, 5 points ahead of average.
The national winter wheat crop was 71% headed as of Sunday, up from 61% a week earlier and ahead of 62% last year and 58% on average.
The spring wheat crop was 39% emerged, versus 23% the previous week, 42% last year, and 34% on average.
