06/05/07 Some northwest wheat ratings plummet

Farm and Ranch June 5, 2007 The recent hot weather in the Pacific Northwest was great for producers putting up hay but those temperatures took a toll on wheat in the region. According to this week's crop progress report Oregon's winter wheat dropped from 61 percent good to excellent a week ago to just 37 percent this week and a third of that state's winter wheat is now rated very poor to poor. Washington's winter wheat dropped two points to 58 percent good to excellent. Idaho's rating was down 5 points to 86 percent good to excellent. Brad Rippey, USDA meteorologist, says on a national level the winter wheat ratings slipped to 53 percent from 57 percent a week ago. That is still much better than a year ago but there are some problem areas. Rippey: "One the effects of the April freeze and more recently some wetness in the winter wheat areas of the Plains. We are seeing percentage of the crop, at least 30 percent of the crop very poor to poor now in five states starting in Missouri at 56% followed by North Carolina at 38 percent, Kansas at 35 and Arkansas and Oregon, with dryness showing up in the Pacific Northwest, at 34 percent." Spring wheat conditions also slipped in the PNW with Oregon's the lowest rated at just 36 percent good to excellent. Washington's spring wheat condition is 51 percent good to excellent with Idaho's at 87 percent good to excellent. The winter wheat harvest is underway in the southern Plains and USDA says one percent of the U.S. crop has been cut compared to the five year average for now of four percent. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.