Winter and spring wheat progress

Farm and Ranch July 29, 2011 This week’s crop progress report from the USDA shows slow progress in winter wheat harvest in the northern and western U.S.

Rippey: “In fact we have not yet seen harvest begin in Montana where the five year average pace for July 24^th should be 17%. And in Oregon only seven percent harvested. The five year average pace there 37%.”

That’s USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. Sherman County Oregon reports this will be the fewest bushels ever harvested in July there. In Washington farmers would normally have harvested 16 percent of the winter wheat crop by now but had cut only two percent to start the week. In Idaho one percent of the winter wheat has been harvested, five points behind average.

Of course on a national level the winter wheat harvest is much further along at 75 percent complete.

Rippey: “Five year average 80%. Last year at this time 78%.”

Meanwhile the U.S. spring wheat crop continues to lag in development.

Rippey: “83% headed by July 24^th. Normally 95% headed. Last year 92%.”

In the Pacific Northwest 92 percent or more of the spring wheat is headed.

As for spring wheat crop condition ratings Rippey says;

Rippey: “The crop actually improved slightly in condition to 74% good to excellent, five percent very poor to poor. That is up slightly from last week‘s numbers of 73% good to excellent, five percent very poor to poor.”

Last year at this time the spring wheat crop was rated 83 percent good to excellent.

The U.S. corn crop ratings dropped four points to 62 percent good to excellent due to the recent heat in the corn belt.

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

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