Cotton Crop In Good Shape
Cotton is continuing to benefit from a summer of abundant rainfall. More than 67% of US cotton is rated in good to excellent condition. 5% very poor to poor. USDA meteorologist, Brad Rippey says both those stats are up 2% from the previous week. Last year at this point in the summer, just 45% of US cotton was rated good to excellent and 22% was rated very poor to poor
Rippey has the latest look at cotton bolls opened, which he says is an important number to note as storms continue to moves across the southeast.
Rippey:” One-tenth of the US crop with open bolls. That too is behind the five-year average, which is 15%, and behind last year’s 14%. “
With Fred having moved through and more storms forecast before the official end of hurricane season, Rippey says the slow development may have a silver lining. “
Rippey: ”The good news is that very few cotton bolls are open. That’s the stage that’s much more vulnerable to wind and heavy rainfall. For example in Georgia, just 4% of the cotton bolls are open that is behind the five-year average of 9%.”
Taking a look at peanuts now. Pegging is reported at 95% at the latest report, one point behind last year. And the crop condition for peanuts is quite good. Rippey says nationally 73% of the peanut crop is rated good to excellent, 3% very poor to poor. That’s comparable to last year at this time when peanuts were rated 75% good to excellent and 5% very poor to poor.
