Market News & Headlines >> Winter Wheat Conditions Improve Further

The condition of the U.S. winter wheat crop continued to improve last week with unseasonably warm temperatures and adequate moisture boosting crop establishment in the central Plains and the Midwest.

In Monday afternoon's weekly crop update, USDA rated U.S. winter wheat crop conditions 52% good/excellent, up 1 percentage point from a week earlier and in line with the average of trade expectations. The condition rating was still 8 points below a year earlier, but was 2 points above the five-year average. The portion of the U.S., crop rated poor/very poor declined to 10% from 11% a week earlier, but remained above the year-earlier level of 6%.

U.S. winter wheat planting was put at 94% complete as of Sunday, 4 points behind the five-year average, while nationwide crop emergence was estimated at 87%, 1 point ahead of the average pace.

In the top winter wheat state of Kansas, the portion of the HRW wheat crop rated good/excellent was unchanged at 45%, while in Oklahoma, the portion rated good/excellent declined 1 point to 45%. However, the Texas good/excellent rating rose 1 point to 48%.

The portion of the SRW wheat crop rated good/excellent rose by 4 points in both Indiana and Ohio to 66% and 69% respectively. The good/excellent rating was up 3 points for the Missouri crop and 1 point each for Illinois and Michigan. The portion of the Arkansas crop rated good/excellent slipped 3 points.

In the Pacific Northwest, the crop in the top white wheat state of Washington continues to struggle due to drought conditions with the portion rated good/excellent falling 7 points to 41%.