11/21/07 National winter wheat ratings slip

Farm and Ranch November 21, 2007 The USDA says winter wheat in the Northwest is looking the best in the nation as recent showery weather helped conditions improve here. However, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey, says nationally the condition of this year's winter wheat crop is continuing to decline. Only 45 percent of the crop is ranked in good to excellent shape and at the other end of the spectrum; Rippey: "Nineteen percent poor to very poor. A week ago those numbers were 49% and 16% respectively. A year ago looking much better at 57% good to excellent. Just nine percent very poor to poor. Texas once again kind of the poster child for poor wheat at this time. Looking at 47% of the crop rated very poor to poor." Nationally 85 percent of the U.S. winter wheat crop has emerged, which Rippey says is five points behind average. Rippey; "The big problem remains the southern and western parts of the Great Plains where we see significant issues due to the dryness that has developed this fall." Winter wheat emergence in the PNW stands at 93 percent in Washington and 91 percent in Idaho. Emergence in Oregon advanced by 11 percent this past week to 80 percent. As for the U.S. corn harvest, Rippey tells us: Rippey: "Corn harvest just about done across the nation, 97%. Five year average for corn harvest at this point is 94 percent." And that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.