05/16/07 Some northwest winter wheat ratings drop

Farm and Ranch May 16, 2007 Read through the county comments in this week's crop progress reports for the Pacific Northwest and you will see many areas in Washington and Oregon that would like some rain for the winter wheat. And crop ratings did drop from the previous week for Washington's crop, down from 71 percent good to excellent to 66 percent. Oregon's winter wheat condition dropped slightly to 83 percent good to excellent. Idaho's crop moved up a point to 93 percent good to excellent. Nationally, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the condition of the winter wheat crop continues to edge higher despite the severe freeze earlier this spring. Rippey: "Fifty-eight percent of the crop is good to excellent. Seventeen percent very poor to poor. A week ago those numbers were 57 and 18% respectively." Winter wheat is now heading in all the northwest states and Rippey says nationally heading is slightly behind the average pace. Rippey: "Fifty-one percent of the winter wheat is now headed. Five year average is 57 percent. One of the states driving that number down is Kansas which because of the freeze damage and freeze effects is only at 50% headed. Five year average is 71%." Spring wheat seeding is nearing completion in the PNW and nationally 87 percent of the crop has been planted, well ahead of average for now. The first condition rating of the U.S. spring wheat crop puts it at 79 percent good to excellent. Farmers have caught up on corn planting. Seventy-eight percent of the U.S. crop has been planted. Right on the five year average for now. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.