Agricultural News
Latest USDA Crop Progress Report Shows Significant Decline in Winter Wheat Conditions
Mon, 20 Apr 2020 16:39:15 CDT
Farmers are making planting progress although slowed by cool, wet conditions in the corn belt, according to the latest USDA crop progress report. As of April 19, only 7 percent of the U.S. corn crop has been planted, lagging the last 5-year average of 9 percent.
The big story this week is in the wheat belt where overall condition of the winter wheat crops in the High Plains has deteriorated during the past week, mainly due to freeze damage concerns. Oklahoma continues to lead the region with the best wheat crop, but the Sooner State has seen a significant drop from 75 percent in the good to excellent category last week to 65 percent this week. Last week only 4 percent was in the poor to very poor range while this week that number has jumped to 11 percent in Oklahoma.
In the photo accompanying this article are pictures of wheat and barley fields in west central Oklahoma taken this past weekend. There was no freeze damage evident in these fields, but it may be too early to predict the full extent of the damage.
To view the national USDA Crop Progress report, click here.
Meanwhile, in Oklahoma wheat headed reached 28 percent, up 18 points from the previous year but down 2 points from normal.
Corn planted reached 10 percent, down 16 points from the previous year and down 20 points from normal. Soybeans planted reached 3 percent. Pasture and Livestock: Pasture and range condition was rated at 88 percent good to fair. Livestock condition was rated at 90 percent good to fair.
To view the Oklahoma report, click here.
In the Sunflower State, the wheat condition is rate 46 percent good to excellent this week (50 percent last week),36 percent is fair (about the same as last week) and 18 percent is rated poor to very poor this week compared to 15 percent last week.
Corn planted was 13 percent, near the 14 percent mark last year and behind 20 percent average.
To view the Kansas report, click here.
In Texas, producers in the High and Low Plains and the Cross Timbers assessed possible damage to winter wheat fields caused by freezing temperatures experienced last week. Winter wheat fields continued to be grazed throughout much of the state while in some areas of the Northern and Southern High Plains, and the Cross Timbers, wheat was being cut for silage.
The Texas wheat crop this week is 58 percent rated good to excellent, (compared to 66 percent last week), 30 percent is rated fair (26 percent last week) and 12 percent in the poor to very poor category (8 percent last week).
Livestock were rated in fair to good condition. Supplemental feeding continued across most of the state but slowed in many areas. Pasture and range condition was rated mostly fair to good.
To view the Texas report, click here.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
