U.S. winter wheat ratings not so good; different story in PNW
Farm and Ranch October 26, 2010 The first national crop condition rating of the season for the U.S. winter wheat crop was issued by the USDA Monday. Department meteorologist Brad Rippey says crop condition is nowhere near a year ago at this time. Rippey: “Forty-seven percent of the nation‘s winter wheat in the first report of the year rated good to excellent. Fourteen percent very poor to poor. A year ago those numbers were a lot better, 62% good to excellent and just 5% rated very poor to poor. The greatest problems we are seeing at this point Arkansas more than half the crop, 57% rated very poor to poor on October 24th followed by Indiana at 32 percent and Texas at 29% despite some beneficial showers in Texas towards the end of the week.” Winter wheat in the Pacific Northwest is a different story than the national numbers. In Washington 89 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent, in Idaho 93 percent of the crop is in the same condition, and in Oregon winter wheat is rated 67 percent good to excellent. None of the region’s wheat is rated very poor and only Idaho has one percent in the poor category. Winter wheat seeding progress in the PNW is at ninety percent plus in each state while nationally Rippey says 88 percent of the crop has been planted. Rippey: “The five year average 84%. Last year 77%.” And emergence of the U.S. winter wheat crop is at 64 percent, right on the five year average. USDA reports the corn harvest at 83 percent complete, way ahead of the average pace for now of 49 percent. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ? ? ?
