U.S. winter wheat harvest past half-way mark as some PNW wheat begins to turn

Farm and Ranch July 7, 2011 The winter wheat crop in Oregon and Washington is pretty much headed out now but in Idaho about a quarter of the crop has yet to head. Some of the crop in each state is reported to be turning color. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the country USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the winter wheat harvest rolls on.

Rippey: “The wheat harvest continues to progress northward and has passed the halfway mark, 56% harvested by July 3^rd. Five year average pace is 52%.”

USDA issued its last condition rating for this year’s winter wheat.

Rippey: “Just barely one-third of the crop, 36% good to excellent, 41% very poor to poor.”

Last year 66 percent was in good to excellent shape. The PNW winter wheat crop is in much better condition however, with ratings of 70 percent or better good to excellent.

Turning to the U.S. spring wheat crop nationally, Rippey says;

Rippey: “Starting to head out in some of the earlier planted spots but way behind schedule. Thirteen percent of the spring wheat headed by July 3^rd, five year average pace 52%.”

Spring wheat heading in the Pacific Northwest is further advanced but still running well behind the five year average for now.

Rippey says the U.S. spring wheat crop is looking good despite the late progress, 70 percent good to excellent, four percent very poor to poor. Last year at this time 80 percent of the spring wheat was in good to excellent condition.

The U.S. corn crop is rated at 69 percent good to excellent. Up a point from the previous week. A year ago the rating was 71 percent good to excellent.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net.