04/19/06 National winter wheat ratings drop

Farm and Ranch April 19, 2006 The latest rating for the U.S. winter wheat crop shows a decline in the crop's condition. USDA meteorologist Eric Luebehusen has this week's ratings. Luebehusen: "We are looking at 32% of the winter wheat crop poor to very poor. That is a deterioration of two percentage points from last week and that is 26 percentage points worse than last year. Nationally we are looking at 39% good to excellent and that too is down two percentage points from last week and 30 percentage points from last year." Of course the southern Plains is where the winter wheat gets the worst ratings. Texas for example only has four percent of its crop good to excellent with 78 percent very poor to poor and that's a decline from last week. Contrast that Idaho where over 90 percent of the winter wheat is in good to excellent condition. Also in the northwest, Washington's crop is 75 percent good to excellent, Oregon's 65 percent. When it comes to spring wheat Luebehusan says farmers in the Pacific Northwest are among those running behind in getting their crop planted. Luebehusen: "And once again we are seeing wet weather across portions of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies slowing down the spring whet planted. Couple of states of notable mention; Idaho, 17% planted. That is 40 points behind last year and 31 points behind the 5-year average. Washington a big producer. They stand at 45 percent planted. That is 43 points behind last year when at this time they had almost all the crop in." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.