04/03/07 Good winter wheat crop ratings

Farm and Ranch April 3, 2007 USDA has resumed its weekly crop progress and condition ratings report for winter wheat. Rippey: "We've got the crop now on April 1st rated 71% good to excellent." That's USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey who says this is quite a turn around from a year ago when the U.S. winter wheat crop was rated only 38 percent good to excellent. Of course the big problem last year was in the Plains but this year Rippey says; Rippey: "We've got almost all the states running at least 70% good to excellent." In the southern Plains there is a dramatic difference compared to last year's dry, dusty start. Rippey: "Texas currently rated 67% good to excellent. A year ago that number was 7%. In Oklahoma almost as dramatic. Currently standing at 74% of the winter wheat good to excellent. A year ago just 11%." In the Pacific Northwest Idaho's winter wheat has the best rating at 88 percent good to excellent. Washington's crop is rated 78 percent good to excellent and Oregon's 55 percent good to excellent. If there is one problem area in the U.S. Rippey says it is in the soft red winter wheat belt of the Midwest. Rippey: "Problem there is not drought but wetness. We are seeing 26% of the crop rated very poor to poor in Ohio and 12% in Indiana." The PNW is the most advanced with spring wheat planting with Idaho and Washington at 25 percent or more complete. Nationally just three percent of the spring wheat crop has been planted but that's right on the five year average pace for now. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.