Spring Wheat Harvest Ahead of Expectations; Winter Wheat Planting Behind

US spring wheat harvest progress this past week was ahead of trade expectations, while winter wheat planting was slightly behind. 

Monday’s USDA crop progress report pegged the American spring wheat harvest at 85% complete as of Sunday, up 15 points on the week. That is also 2 points ahead of the five-year average and topped the average pre-report trade guess by an identical 2 points. 

Meanwhile, 6% of the winter wheat crop was in the ground as of Sunday, up 4 points from a week earlier and on par with the average but still 2 points behind trade expectations. 

In the top spring wheat production state of North Dakota, the harvest advanced 18 points from the previous week to reach 79% complete as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of last year and 1 point ahead of average. The Minnesota and Montana harvests were 89% and 91% complete as of Sunday, versus 75% and 77% a week earlier and 86% and 85% on average. 

Things have almost wrapped up in South Dakota, where 97% of the spring wheat crop was in the bin as of Sunday, matching the five-year average. 

Winter wheat planting in Kansas, the No. 1 producer, was reported at 4% done as of Sunday, ahead of 3% last year and 2% on average. No planting was yet reported in Oklahoma, compared to 4% on average. 

An estimated 2% of the Soft Red crop was in the ground in Michigan as of Sunday (0% on average), but producers in Ohio had not yet started.