Market News & Headlines >> Winter Wheat Ratings Improve

U.S. winter wheat conditions showed improvement last week as beneficial rains arrived in dry areas of the Plains HRW wheat belt and in some SRW wheat areas.

USDA rated U.S. winter wheat conditions 49% good/excellent, up from 47% a week earlier, but still below the year-earlier rating of 59%. 

Nationwide planting progress and crop emergence continued to progress at a near average pace. U.S. planting progress was estimated at 88% as of Sunday versus a 5-year average of 90%, while crop emergence was at 72% versus an average of 73%.

The condition rating in the top winter wheat producing state of Kansas improved to 45% good/excellent from 41% a week earlier, while Oklahoma’s crop conditions improved to 38% good/excellent from 31% a week earlier. However, the Texas crop rating declined to 43% good/excellent from 47% a week earlier despite much of the state receiving rainfall during the week.

Parts of Kansas will need more rainfall to ensure good crop establishment. Kansas topsoil moisture rated 11% very short, 33% short, 54% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 12% very short, 35% short, 53% adequate, and 0 surplus.

The worst crop deterioration last week was in the white wheat state of Washington, where the crop rating declined to 49% good/excellent as of Sunday from 56% previously. The overall worst crop ratings continued to be in neighboring Oregon where the crop rating held steady at just 8% good, 70% fair and 22% poor.

Condition ratings were steady-to-improved in most Midwest SRW wheat states, except for Michigan, but the crop rating there at 73% good/excellent was still strong. The Missouri SRW wheat crop is struggling with conditions there rated only 35% good/excellent.