Winter wheat planting progressing

Farm and Ranch September 16, 2010 The USDA says good progress was made over the past week in planting the 2011 winter wheat crop. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says in Washington;

Rippey: “35% planted there. That is on par with last year and the five year average. And Oregon 14% planted. The five year average is 12%.”

Nine percent of Idaho’s winter wheat had been planted at the start of this week, compared to the five year average for now of 14 percent.

Elsewhere in the U.S.;

Rippey: “And looking at the hard red winter wheat belt we do see planting is most advanced now in Nebraska where one-quarter of the crop is now in the ground. That is pretty much on par with what we see for last year and the five year average, 27% last year and 23% for the five year average.”

That includes significant planting progress in Plains states such as South Dakota and Colorado. Turning to some of the soft red winter wheat areas;

Rippey: “Even in the eastern part of the cornbelt where it has been a bit on the dry side we see just some initial planting efforts underway. Two percent of the soft red winter wheat planted in Michigan.”

USDA reports over half the U.S. corn crop is now mature, 20 points ahead of average with 11 percent of the crop now harvested.

The potato harvest in Washington is 39 percent complete. Five year average is 58 percent. The potato harvest pace in Idaho is right on the five year average at nine percent complete.

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