November 25, 2003

 

 

US Crop Progress Wrap: Winter Wheat Condition Ratings Improve

 

U.S. winter wheat conditions as of Sunday made modest improvements in the good to excellent category, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported late Monday in its final weekly crop progress report of the season.

 

Overall winter wheat ratings peg the crop at 50% good to excellent, up two percentage points from the prior week. However, the ratings remain well below last year's 61% good to excellent rating for the same time frame.

 

Traders are not anticipating the data from the report to have a significant impact on market activity. Lisa Wheeler, analyst with Cargill Investor Services in Chicago, points out that it's hard to judge the eventual outcome of crops until they come out of dormancy.

 

The Oklahoma winter wheat crop made significant improvements, with its good to excellent ratings up seven percentage points at 60%. Soft red winter wheat crops in Illinois made decent advances as well, up five percentage points to 86% good to excellent.

 

Nevertheless, in Oklahoma, the major wheat producing areas are still behind normal rainfall. Temperatures were above average throughout the latter part of the week. Beneficial showers and warm weather during the week improved small grain crops' emergence and growth.

 

Oklahoma wheat conditions were rated mostly fair to good. Emergence of the earlier planted wheat fields continued to advance and was at 96% at week's end.

 

In contrast to the overall U.S. rating improvements, the good to excellent categories for the Kansas crop slipped two percentage points to 52%. Montana's crop was off four percentage points to 31%. Soft red winter crops in Ohio dropped three percentage points to 79% good to excellent, and Washington's wheat crop slipped one percentage point to 24%.

 

In Kansas, the largest winter wheat-growing state, 13% of the wheat acreage is being pastured compared to 11% last year and 8% for the five-year average. Dry conditions, particularly in the central and western districts, caused a decline in the overall condition of wheat. Fall wheat emergence is rated 94% complete, compared to 96% last year and 95% for the five-year average.

 

The Washington state update reported: "Cold weather in the central county of Benton, with strong winds (20-50 miles per hour) caused damage to much of the wheat crop in the dryland area. Some of the fields took a big hit by the wind, looking like sand pits. Precipitation is needed so the winter wheat can be reseeded."

 

The overall U.S. wheat crop is now 92% emerged, up from 88% last week and 89% for the five-year average.

 

 

Source: USDA