Winter wheat planting progresses as spring wheat harvest continues

Farm and Ranch September 10, 2009 Harvesting of cereal grains in the Pacific Northwest is just about wrapped up for the 2009 crop. One exception being Idaho, where farmers still had about a quarter of their spring wheat and just under 30 percent of their barley to harvest at the start of this week. Producers in the northern plains made good progress on spring wheat harvesting this past week, but USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the pace is still well behind average.

Rippey: “Finally we have passed the half-way mark. Fifty-eight percent harvested. Eighty-eight percent is the five year average.”

Rippey says even as the spring wheat harvest continues, planting of the 2010 winter wheat crop is underway.

Rippey: “Winter wheat planted, five percent now. That does compare favorably to the five year average pace of five percent and last year‘s four percent number.”

Washington leads the nation in the percentage of the winter wheat crop planted at 25 percent, five points ahead of the five year average. USDA reports Oregon has three percent of its winter wheat planted, Idaho six percent. Some areas of Oregon were waiting for rain to plant. In Washington, rain right after planting has some farmers reseeding because of crusting concerns.

The potato harvest in Washington has passed the halfway mark at 52 percent complete, right on the five year average. Five percent of Idaho’s potatoes have been dug, which is ahead of last year at this time and just one point behind average.

Just eight percent of the U.S. corn crop is mature. That’s not much different from last year at this time but well behind the five year average of 23 percent.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.