Market News & Headlines >> U.S. Winter Wheat Ratings Well Above Last Year

USDA issued its first U.S. winter wheat crop ratings of the season on Monday, pegging crop conditions at 47% good/excellent as of Sunday, up from last year’s first rating of only 28% good/excellent, but below the 10-year average of 50%.

USDA rated U.S. crop conditions 18% poor/very poor, down from 35% poor/very poor a year earlier. The crop in the top winter wheat producing state of Kansas was rated only 32% good/excellent and 36% poor/very poor but that was up from last year’s initial rating of only 24% good/excellent and 42% poor/very poor.

The Oklahoma crop was rated 42% good/excellent well above last year’s initial rating of just 11% good/excellent and 36% poor/very poor. The Texas crop was rated 41% good/excellent and 15% poor/very poor, far above last year’s initial rating of 4% good and 65% poor/very poor.

Crop conditions in Washington state were rated 56% good/excellent and 12% poor/very poor compared with the year-earlier rating of 63%. 

USDA put planting progress at 84% as of Sunday, up from 77% a week earlier, but down slightly from 86% a year earlier and the five-year average of 85%. An estimated 64% of the crop had emerged, up from 60% a year earlier and on par with the five-year average.