Almost 50% of the winter wheat crop in the U.S. is grappling with drought conditions, although the USDA reported a slight enhancement in crop health this week.
In the weekly Crop Progress report, the USDA also revealed that farmers in the upper Midwest are rapidly catching up with corn and soybean planting, after initial delays due to unfavorable cold and wet weather.
According to the USDA, as the week started, 34% of winter wheat was classified as in good or excellent health, a 3-percentage point rise from the previous week, likely due to rains in the southern Plains. Kansas, a leading winter wheat state, displayed resilience with 10% of its crop marked as good or excellent, despite 69% of it being categorized as in "poor" or "very poor" condition due to drought.
Meanwhile, North Dakota farmers managed to plant 40% of their corn fields last week, aligning with the five-year average with 72% of the crop now sown. Additionally, soybean planting saw a considerable boost, with Minnesota and North Dakota farmers each planting a third of their crop last week, and South Dakota farmers making headway with 25% of their soybeans planted.
Photo Credit: istock-zhaojiankang
Categories: Kansas, Crops, Wheat, Weather