Spring Planting Progress Moves Ahead Rapidly While High Plains Wheat Conditions Continue to Slide

U.S. corn farmers are rapidly getting the crop in the ground as this week’s Crop Progress Report shows 67 percent of the crop is planted in the 18 major corn growing states, which is 11 points ahead of the latest 5-year average.

Iowa farmers lead the pack with 91 percent planted, followed by Minnesota and North Carolina, both are at 89 percent planted. Texas is 84 percent complete.

Significantly, 24 percent of the corn crop has emerged and many of those acres in the corn belt saw freezing temperatures and snow this past weekend.

For cotton, farmers have planted 32 percent in the 15 major states, about 5 points ahead of the 5-year average.

In the 6 major grain sorghum states, farmers have planted 27 percent of the crop, lagging behind the 5-year average by about 2 points.

The nation’s winter wheat crop continues to go downhill as drought and freeze damage is taking its toll. A little more than half the crop, 53 percent, is now in the good to excellent category, compared to 55 percent last week and 57 percent on April 20.

The good news is Oklahoma still has the best crop in the High Plains as the Sooner crop is rated 56 percent in the good to excellent category this week. The rest of the Oklahoma wheat crop is rated 33 percent fair (29 percent last week) and 11 percent poor to very poor (7 percent last week).

To view the national crop progress report, click here.

The Oklahoma winter wheat crop is only weeks away from harvest as the crop reached 82 percent headed this week, unchanged from the previous year but down 8 points from normal.

Corn planted reached 60 percent, up 16 points from the previous year but down 1 point from normal.

Pasture and range conditions were rated at 88 percent good to fair. Livestock condition was rated at 94 percent good to fair.

To view the Oklahoma report, click here.

The sad tale continues for the Kansas wheat crop, traditionally our nation’s largest wheat producing state. This week the crop is rated 38 percent good to excellent (42 percent last week), 38 percent fair (36 percent last week) and 24 percent is poor to very poor, up 2 points from last week.

Corn planted was 61 percent, ahead of 45 percent last year, and near the 58 percent average. Emerged was 29 percent, ahead of 23 percent last year, but near the 32 percent average. Soybeans planted was 23 percent, ahead of 6 percent last year and the 11 percent average. Emerged was 6 percent, near the 2 percent average.