Agricultural News
2019 Winter Wheat Quality a Stark Comparison Against Last Year's Crop, Plus Bean Planting Begins
Mon, 22 Apr 2019 17:10:21 CDT
The United States Department of Agriculture gave us our first introduction to the US soybean crop this year in its latest Crop Progress Report, released on Monday, April 22, 2019 according to which corn planting continues to lag its historical pace while wheat crops seem to be progressing a bit slower than normal. At present, USDA reports that producers are only 6 percent of the way completed with the planting of the US corn crop this week. This is only half the amount of progress that is typically made at this point from a historical perspective but is in fact better by one percentage point when compared to the progress made at this time last year. The only significant case of lagging is seen in North Carolina, currently reporting 28 percent completion compared to 45 last year and 50 for the five-year average. The "I" States are off to a relatively slow start compared to prior years, especially Illinois at just 1 percent complete this week compared to 17 the average. Indiana is behind its average of 5 at just 1 percent complete also. Iowa is at 4 percent complete this week, but still behind its average pace of 10 by 6 points. The lag in soybean planting is more drastic on a state-by-state basis, though many states have yet to begin planting as is usual for this time. Arkansas is currently at 6 percent complete with the planting of its soybean crop, three times lower than normal. Nationally, the US soybean crop is at just one percent complete, behind last year and the five-year average of 2 percent. In addition, the US winter wheat crop as of this week is just 9 percent headed, half that of normal and 3 points behind last year's progress at this time. From a quality standpoint, the crop is doing rather well with a good to excellent rating currently of 62 percent - 30 percent of the crop is rated fair and a mere 8 percent of the entire crop is rated poor to very poor. This is a starkly better situation that producers were in last year when the crop only had a 31 percent good to excellent rating.
To see the complete US Crop Progress Report, released on Monday, April 22, 2019, click here.
Looking at conditions across the Southern Plains -
In Oklahoma, winter wheat jointing this week reached 82 percent, up 4 points from the previous year but down 8 points from normal. Winter wheat headed reached 11 percent, down 11 points from the previous year and down 26 points from normal. Wheat's condition this week in Oklahoma rates 6 percent poor to very poor, 24 fair and 70 percent good to excellent. Compare that to last year at this time when Oklahoma's wheat crop rated 64 percent poor to very poor and just 8 percent good to excellent. Summer crops in Oklahoma continue to go into the ground with corn planted now at 32 percent complete, up 4 points from the previous year but down 6 points from normal. Sorghum planted has progressed about 2 points from last week now at 4 percent complete, down 4 points from the previous year and down 6 points from normal. Soybean planting has made its debut on this week's report for Oklahoma, reported at 2 percent complete this week. And finally, cotton planted is at 5 percent this week, up 3 points from the previous year and up 3 points from normal. Meanwhile, pasture and range conditions this week rate 58 percent good to excellent, 34 fair and 8 percent poor to very poor. This is also a large improvement compare to conditions seen last year at this time when pasture and rangeland rated 34 poor to very poor and 24 percent good to excellent.
Click here to review this week's Crop Progress Report for Oklahoma.
Based off limited available information, winter wheat's condition in Kansas this week rates 3 percent very poor, 8 poor, 32 fair, 47 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat jointed was 44 percent, ahead of 33 last year, but behind 61 for the five-year average. Corn planted was 17 percent, near 14 last year, but behind 24 average.
Click here to review this week's Crop Progress Report for Kansas.
Finally, across Texas, recent rains have reportedly impacted crops both positively and negatively depending on where you look. Winter wheat in Texas is currently 41 percent headed, behind last year by 13 points and just 9 points behind the five-year average. Wheat's condition in Texas this week rates 52 good to excellent, 37 fair and 11 percent poor to very poor. Corn planted in the state has reached 59 percent, still lagging 64 last year but on par with normal. Corn emerged is at 45 percent this week, just below 46 last year and 48 on average. Sorghum planted is at 57 percent complete currently, well behind 76 last year and just 2 points behind the five-year average. Cotton planted, is near its normal pace of progress at 12 percent this week compared to 14 last year and 11 percent on average. Pasture and range conditions across Texas rate 49 percent good to excellent, 40 fair 11 percent poor to very poor. Comparatively better than last year at this time when pasture and rangeland in Texas rated 25 percent poor to very poor and 39 percent good to excellent.
Click here to review this week's Crop Progress Report for Texas.
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