In this week’s report, USDA reported good corn harvest progress nationwide at 76 percent complete - racing ahead to stand 12 points ahead of its five-year average. In the I-80 Corridor, Nebraska holds a slight edge with 80 percent of its crop harvested. Illinois is at 78 percent and Iowa is 77 percent done. Even Ohio is more than half done at 56 percent. Most of the southern states are finishing up.
The national soybean harvest is already 88 percent complete compared to its 78 percent average pace. In the I-80 Corridor, Nebraska is all but finished with 97 percent cut. Iowa is close behind with 94 percent. Southern states are all basically done. This may be the last soybean harvest update of the year since most of the key states are near or above 90 percent completion now.
Cotton harvest is now 55 percent complete nationwide which is eight points ahead of its five-year average. Mississippi keeps a lock on the top spot with 84 percent of its acreage now harvested. North Carolina moved up to 60 percent and Alabama now stands at 59 percent.
Grain sorghum harvest is now 77 percent complete nationwide - still eight points ahead of its five-year average. The number one producing state of Texas is finished. South Dakota leads the other top producing states with 78 percent and Nebraska reports 75 percent completion.
Rice harvest is basically done nationwide except for a few isolated locations.
Peanut harvest is pegged at 79 percent complete as of Sunday which puts it nine points ahead of its five-year average. Virginia is putting the wraps on this year’s harvest with 95 percent taken out of the field. Florida continues to make strong progress with 92 percent completion. The top producing state of Georgia is now 83 percent finished.
Winter wheat planting is just about done for this season as it has reached 87 percent completion - two points ahead of its five-year average of 85 percent. In the Plains, only Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas have less than 90 percent planted, but they are close.
USDA released its first winter wheat condition report for the new 2022/23 crop. It’s NOT getting off to a very good start as only 28 percent of the nation’s crop makes the grade in the good to excellent categories. As of Sunday, 35 percent is rated poor to very poor. Perhaps most alarming in this early update is the fact that Texas reports only FOUR percent in the good to excellent rating and Oklahoma has only 11 percent! Now, those two states have received significant rain in many areas over the past week or two, so those ratings should improve.
Pasture conditions improved slightly in the central and southern Plains, but Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska still report having only single digits in the good to excellent categories. Nebraska reports that 82 percent of its pastureland is considered to be in poor to very poor condition while Oklahoma has 80 percent in those same two categories.
In the topsoil moisture deficit category (generally considered to measure the top four inches of soil representing the seed planting and sprouting zone), Oklahoma again holds the top (driest) spot with 91 percent of its acres either short or very short on moisture. However, that is actually an improvement of seven points from a week ago. Kansas remains in second place with 89 percent.
In the subsoil moisture deficit category (considered to measure deep soil moisture down to a few feet where the crop roots would extend downward), Kansas moves up into the top spot with 90 percent of its acreage rated short to very short. Wyoming is now the second driest with 87 percent. Oklahoma slides to the third spot after seeing its short to very short rating trimmed by 11 points thanks to recent rainfall in the bulk of the state.
USDA Crop Progress 221031.pdf
