07/11/06 U.S. spring wheat ratings down again

Farm and Ranch July 11, 2006 Hot, dry conditions continue to take their toll on the U.S. spring wheat crop in the northern Plains. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has the latest crop ratings for spring wheat. Rippey: "The crop is now rated just 42% good to excellent and that is down 52% a week ago and down, way down from 78% a year ago." The NOAA Climate Prediction Center issued an unscheduled update to its U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook Friday, highlighting drought conditions that have developed and spread in the Dakotas, indicating the conditions could broaden in area. NOAA said the updated outlook shows recently-worsening drought conditions affecting parts of the northern Plains and the Upper Mississippi Valley should continue and may even expand across eastern Montana, Minnesota, the Dakotas and parts of Iowa. Here in the northwest recent thunder storms which brought hail caused damage to cereal grains in various locations. In Oregon hail damage was reported in Wallowa County with both cereal grains and potatoes being damaged in Baker County. Hail damage to wheat, barley, potatoes and alfalfa was also reported in Washington with some severe losses in Adams and Lincoln counties. Some early grain harvesting was underway in Oregon's Morrow county. In Washington harvesting had begun in the Central Ferry area of Garfield county and western Walla Walla county. Tomorrow USDA will issue its monthly crop production report with updated estimates on winter and spring wheat yields as well as its first estimate for this year of planted fall potato acreage. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.