The Midwest, on the tail end of a two-week inundation of rainfall, remains flooded and saturated, stalling planting progress that is already well behind average. The Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress report, released Tuesday, reports that as of May 26, the 18 top producing states reached 58 percent completion of corn plantings, compared to the five-year average of 90 percent. Indiana, Ohio and South Dakota have planted less than 30 percent of their respective corn crops. Meanwhile, just 29 percent of the nation's soybean crop is planted, compared to 74 percent last year, and the five-year average of 66 percent. Many states have planted less than 20 percent of their intended soybean acres, including Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and South Dakota. Just 32 percent of the nation's corn crop has emerged, along with just 11 percent of soybeans. Forecasters from the website Weather2020 suggest more wet conditions will continue through June, when the jet stream normally lifts and weakens weather systems across the corn belt, further hampering planting.

Click here to view the complete USDA Crop Progress Report release Tuesday, May 28, 2019.

In Oklahoma, winter wheat headed reached 96 percent, down 1 point from the previous year and down 3 points from normal. Wheat's condition in Oklahoma this week rates 4 percent poor to very poor, 23 fair and 73 percent good to excellent. To view the Oklahoma Crop Progress Report for this week, click here.

In Kansas, winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 33 fair, 45 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 84 percent, near 86 last year, and behind 93 for the five-year average. Coloring was 7 percent. To view the Kansas Crop Progress Report for this week, click here.

And across Texas, the state's wheat harvest is well underway this week with 11 percent of its crop now harvested, slightly behind last year's pace of 19 percent for this time and 13 percent on average. To view the Texas Crop Progress Report for this week, click here.

Untimely wet weather seems to be a recurring theme in this year's wheat crop. The season began with heavy rains that forced farmers in Oklahoma to either reseed their fields or plant late. Now as harvest quickly approaches, the rainy weather has returned threatening yet another delay in this crop's progress. To talk about the current conditions of Oklahoma's wheat crop, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn reached out to Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service's Southwest Area Agronomist Heath Sanders.

According to Sanders, many fields are very wet in his area, though not to the extent that fields in northcentral Oklahoma and other areas are right now. From what he has observed, there has been a sharp rise in the amount of wheat that has turned white - due to extended periods of standing water on the ground.

The best wheat Sanders has seen is in far south Oklahoma. There, he says fields are rapidly maturing. Though, again, wet conditions are keeping harvesters out of the field. If rains hold off, though, Sanders says harvesters might be able to get in the field within the next 7 to 10 days as the ground dries out.

Hear more of what Sanders has to say about Oklahoma's wheat crop currently, by clicking or tapping here.

 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the organization Farmers for Free Trade last week, held a joint news conference to highlight the importance of free trade and to promote the passage of the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA). Local farmer, Hope Pjesky of Alfalfa County, was invited to speak during the conference to share how low commodity prices and trade disruptions with key markets compounded by tariffs, have impacted her family's operation and livelihood. She visited with Associate Farm Director Carson Horn after the event to talk more about her experience with the current strenuous economic situation.

"It's added a great deal of uncertainty to the markets and one thing you figure out pretty quickly as a farmer is that any excuse the markets can have to make prices go down - and uncertainty is one of the good ones - they'll take it," Pjesky said. "I'm not an economist but I think there's been a lot of things related to trade specifically with Canada and Mexico that have impacted our markets."

Pjesky asserts that the USMCA's ratification would help alleviate much of the uncertainty that exists, not just for agricultural producers but for all those connected and supported by the industry. To help people understand that fact and the importance of free trade, Pjesky says it is up to the farmers and ranchers themselves to spread the message and share their stories.

"I am a 100 percent believer in true free trade," she said. "I think that hopefully it will end up good, but there's a lot of pain in the process right now."

Listen to more of Pjesky's thoughts on free trade and the USMCA, by clicking or tapping over to our website to hear her full conversation with Carson.

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