Last national condition report of the season for winter wheat

Farm and Ranch December 1, 2011 In its last crop progress report until next April the USDA said this week that 92 percent of the U.S. winter wheat crop was emerged. Department meteorologist Brad Rippey says that is equal to the five year average and a point behind this time last year.

Rippey: “Looking at the 18 major production states there are only four that trail the five year average emergence pace. Those being Montana, Oregon, Ohio and Texas.”

At 88 percent emerged Oregon’s winter wheat is six points behind average. In Idaho 100 percent of the crop is reported to be up and in Washington 97 percent emerged.

As for condition ratings Rippey says the winter wheat crop nationally has been slightly improving in recent weeks.

Rippey: “52% good to excellent, 13% very poor to poor. A little bit of an uptick from a week ago, 50 percent good to excellent, 16% very poor to poor. And perhaps more importantly an improvement from where we were last year. The crop was 47% good to excellent.”

Texas remains the problem area due to continued drought.

In the Northwest Idaho’s winter wheat is rated 86 percent good to excellent, Washington’s 77 percent and Oregon’s winter wheat condition is 67 percent good to excellent. Those good to excellent ratings are the same in all three states as they were last year at this time.

Some states will continue to issue monthly reports during the winter but the national report resumes in April.

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

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