Rippey Calls Spring Wheat Conditions “Abysmal”

For most of the nation's spring wheat growers, it's been an abysmal growing season according to USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. He recently noted only 16% of the national spring wheat crop is rated good to excellent, while 55% rated very poor to poor. Washington he pointed out is getting the worst of it, with 83% of the crop currently rated very poor to poor.

Showers have been rolling across the northern Great Plains, but as Rippey pointed out, "it's quickly becoming too late. Those crops mature much earlier than say corn and soy beans. So when you move in to the spring wheat and the barley belt across the Northern plains and Northwest; we're really getting to the point of no return."

USDA has projected a spring wheat crop of 345 million bushels, 41% below last year, which would be the smallest crop in 33 years.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com