Concerns Remain For Winter Wheat Crop

The national winter wheat picture continues to be a concern as we start the month of May.

“Just 31% of this 2026 winter wheat crop is rated good to excellent, 37% very-poor to poor," noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "A week ago, those numbers were 30% and 35% respectively. So, we continue to overall lose ground. This time a year ago, 51% of the crop was good to excellent, just 18% very-poor to poor.”

Rippey said the crop across the central and southern Great Plains is really struggling right now.

“We still see almost half the crop rated very poor to poor in Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma, more than half in Texas at 56% very-poor to poor. In Nebraska, leading the nation among major production states, 67% of the winter wheat rated very-poor to poor.”

Rippey added the overall crop is roughly one to three weeks ahead of schedule across the Great Plains. 

When it comes to quality numbers in the Northwest, all three states are in good shape: 

• Washington is reporting 84% of its crop is good to excellent
• 58% of Oregon’s crop is good to excellent
• Idaho is reporting 87% of its crop is good to excellent 

Rippey said his only concern for the Northwest is  the higher-than-average heading numbers reported in Washington.  As of Sunday May 3rd, 3% of the winter wheat crop was headed; well ahead of the five-year average of 1%.

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