Spring grain harvest continues
Farm and Ranch September 9, 2010 While there may still be a little winter wheat yet to harvest in the Pacific Northwest most of the activity is on spring cereal grains. The Agricultural Statistics Service reports that at the start of this week Washington still had 13 percent of its spring wheat to cut while in Idaho the spring wheat harvest was only 58 percent complete. Nationally 76 percent of the spring wheat crop is in the bin, about eight points behind the five year average for now. The barley harvest is 78 percent done at the national level, ten points behind the five year average with cutting lagging the most in Idaho at only 64 percent complete, and Montana with only 58 percent of its barley harvested. USDA has no national numbers on winter wheat seeding but Washington reports farmers have planted 18 percent of the 2011 crop, right on the five year average. Idaho reports four percent of its winter wheat planted, just a point off the usual pace. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the U.S. corn crop is coming along quite well. Rippey: “One-third of the nation‘s crop fully mature by September 5th. Thirty three percent that is ahead of the five year average of 19 percent and well ahead of last year‘s number of just eight percent.” As for the corn harvest; Rippey: “Six percent by September 5th nationally. Five year average four percent. Last year 2%.” Harvesting of this year’s potato crop in Washington is 28 percent complete which is well behind the five year average of 52 percent. In Idaho four percent of the potato crop has been harvested just a point behind average for now. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
