Winter Wheat Harvest Passes Halfway Mark; Spring Wheat Condition Declines

The American winter wheat harvest has passed the halfway mark, while the condition of the spring wheat crop dropped further below last year. 

An estimated 53% of the national winter wheat crop was in the bin as of Sunday, according to Monday’s USDA crop progress report. That’s up from 37% a week earlier and near the average of 54%, but well behind 62% last year. 

Meanwhile, the spring wheat condition rating dropped 3 points from a week earlier to 50% good to excellent as of Sunday – now 25 points lower compared to last year. 

In the top winter wheat state of Kansas, the harvest jumped 29 points on the week to reach 82% complete. That’s still behind 90% last year but now 5 points ahead of the five-year average, despite earlier weather-related delays. The Oklahoma harvest advanced 12 points to 83% done, compared to 96% on average. Last year at this time, the state winter wheat harvest was finished. 

In the Soft Red Winter state of Michigan, the harvest gained a modest 5 points from a week earlier to reach 9% complete, far behind 27% last year but 1 point ahead of average. The Ohio harvest raced to 48% done as of Sunday, an increase of 34 points from the previous week although behind 82% last year and 52% on average. 

The condition of the national winter wheat crop was unchanged on the week at 48% good to excellent, 3 points below last year. 

The spring wheat crop saw the sharpest condition decline in Minnesota, down 7 points from a week earlier to 80% good to excellent as of Sunday. Montana was steady at 2% good (0% excellent), while the North Dakota crop slipped a single point to 68%. The condition of the South Dakota crop dropped 4 points on the week to 55% good to excellent. 

An estimated 61% of the US spring wheat crop had reached the heading stage as of Sunday, up from 38% a week earlier and compared to 56% last year and 58% on average.