While the weekly Crop Condition reports don’t begin by USDA until the first week of March- states release periodic reports over the winter- and the latest reports for Oklahoma and Texas were dropped on Monday, January 29th.
For Oklahoma- it was a monthly summary for January– showing the 2024 winter wheat crop is in 63 percent in good to excellent condition- up from 53% good to excellent that was reported in the last weekly report of 2023 at the end of November. USDA reports that 55% of the wheat acreage in the state is being grazed which is 19 points higher than the number of one year ago.
The pasture and range ratings for the January summary showed a 31% good to excellent rating- up from 22% good to excellent for the December summary that concluded 2023 but little changed from the end of November report of 30% good to excellent that was in the final weekly report of 2023 at the end of November.
Texas reports this week that their winter wheat crop is 42% good to excellent versus 46% good to excellent back in their November 26, 2023 report. Pasture and range ratings in Texas continue to be awful- just seven percent good to excellent versus fourteen percent good to excellent as of November 26, 2023. That might be one reason for the lack of interest in beef cow herd rebuilding in the southern plains.
Kansas did not have an update on wheat crop conditions on Monday. Their last report was on December 31st when they indicated that their winter wheat crop was 38% in good to excellent condition.
