Midwest crop conditions dip as wheat struggles persist

Apr 23, 2024

By Farms.com

This week, the agricultural spotlight is on the declining health of winter wheat in Kansas and Oklahoma, with both states observing notable reductions in crop conditions. In Oklahoma, good to excellent ratings for winter wheat have dropped from 60% to 49% in just one week. Kansas has experienced a similar decline, with ratings falling from 43% to 36% good to excellent.

The corn planting season is advancing, with Oklahoma reaching 34% planted, a notable increase over both last year and the five-year average. Kansas's corn planting is also progressing well at 26%, slightly ahead of previous metrics.

Despite the downturn in wheat conditions, livestock health in Oklahoma has shown improvement, with 70% rated good to excellent. This is an increase from previous weeks and suggests some resilience in this sector.

Pasture and range conditions are also a concern, with Oklahoma's good to excellent ratings holding steady at 42%, but still significantly better than last year’s dismal 13%.

Further south in Texas, winter wheat conditions are similarly challenging, with a slight decrease in good to excellent ratings. Corn emergence in Texas is consistent with previous years, supporting a cautiously optimistic view for this staple crop.

As planting continues and summer approaches, these metrics will be essential for farmers and market analysts alike to gauge the potential impact on both local and national agricultural markets. The coming weeks will be critical for assessing whether these trends will stabilize or continue their downward trajectory.

Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.