US winter wheat planting not done yet
Farm and Ranch November 17, 2009 Planting of the U.S. winter wheat crop is getting near completion but USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says seeding isn’t done yet. Rippey: “Planting progress now advancing nationally to 90%. That is behind the five year average of 95%. Still only over half the crop is planted in Arkansas. The five year average there is 80%. Up to 77% in Illinois. The five year average 98% there. Looking pretty good across the plains states and the northwest with planting now complete in Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington state. 77% of the winter wheat crop is emerged by November 15th. Five year average is 87%. And for the wheat that has emerged the overall condition at this early point in the season is looking pretty good from a national perspective; 64% good to excellent. That is up a point from a week ago, 63%, and just off last year‘s number of 66% good to excellent in mid-November of 2008.” As for the U.S. corn harvest, Rippey says it’s passed the halfway mark now. Rippey: “54% complete now. That is up 17 points from a week ago.” But Rippey says that is still behind last year’s pace of 77 percent and the five year average of 89%. Rippey; “ In fact that remains the slowest of the last 35 years for corn harvest in the United States. The previous record was set 1992.” I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ?
