Spring Wheat Plantings Near Completion

At any point, spring wheat growers could be finished with nationwide planting.  When the week started, growers were 88% done as we started the week and a little heat helped push emergence rates up to 89% nationally.

As to condition, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says it's improving.

"With generally beneficial conditions, which included showers in some of the previously dry areas of the northern high plains," Rippey pointed out.  "59% of the spring wheat rated a good excellent on June 19th,  just 6% very poor to poor.  A week ago we were 54% good to excellent and 9% very poor to poor."

Last year at this time, 37% of the spring wheat was in poor to very poor condition.  Meanwhile, for winter wheat, a quarter of the crop has been cut, that's a bit ahead of average.  Condition of the crop a lot below average.

"We are looking at the crop rated just 30% good to excellent."

With 43% of whether wheat rated and poor to very poor condition.

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