With producers in our region pretty much wrapped up with planting winter wheat and showing some great crop conditions, it looks like the nation is off to a tough start. The USDA in its first assessment released yesterday rated 47{4d08edaf359bc2115b18a651716ebd427a137946ddca2143fa23b3ea721061e4} of the crop in “good” or “excellent” condition. That is the lowest proportion since at least 1995.
While not pretty nation-wide, our region is definitely seeing the top end of those ratings. Montana winter wheat is rated 78{4d08edaf359bc2115b18a651716ebd427a137946ddca2143fa23b3ea721061e4} good to excellent compared to the 5-year average of 56{4d08edaf359bc2115b18a651716ebd427a137946ddca2143fa23b3ea721061e4}. South Dakota winter wheat is 68{4d08edaf359bc2115b18a651716ebd427a137946ddca2143fa23b3ea721061e4} good to excellent and while not seeing numbers that high, Wyoming wheat is fairing better than the national average at 55{4d08edaf359bc2115b18a651716ebd427a137946ddca2143fa23b3ea721061e4}.
© Northern Ag Network 2010
Haylie Shipp
