U.S. spring wheat harvest passes the half-way mark
Farm and Ranch August 24, 2010 The late wheat harvest continues in the Pacific Northwest. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that for most of the country the winter wheat harvest is done. Rippey: “Overall national progress national progress is 95% complete. Five year average is 98%, but we still see harvest ongoing in the four northwestern states, Idaho, Montana, a little bit in Oregon and also in Washington state. And of course the spring wheat harvest is also ongoing although it did pass the half-way mark for the week ending August 22nd to 53%. That is behind the five year average of 60% but ahead of last year‘s pace of just 21%. Harvest is almost complete now in South Dakota, 94%, but really just getting underway in Montana and Idaho, both at 14 percent.” By percentage, Oregon’s winter wheat harvest is 91 percent complete, Washington’s 75 percent and Idaho’s 60 percent. That’s 21 points behind the five year average for Idaho. Washington had 45 percent of its spring wheat cut at the start of this week. Through 124 samples tested by the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland on average the Pacific Northwest soft white wheat crop continues to have good test weight of 60.6 pounds per bushels. Low moisture of 9.6 percent and low protein of 9.3 percent. Meanwhile the U.S. corn crop continues to develop ahead of pace. Rippey: “The fully mature number in this week, eight percent by August 22nd. That‘s ahead of the five year average of 6% and of course last year‘s number of three percent.” And the condition of the corn crop improved over the previous week too. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
