The National Ag Statistics Service released its second of 2008 crop progress and conditions report after the close Monday. The trade was anticipating 2-3% of the corn crop planted, versus a five-year average of 7%. NASS estimates corn planting presently at 2% versus 4% last year. The most recent year when only 2% of the corn crop was planted for this week of the calendar year was in 1993, the year of the great Midwest Flood.
Spring wheat planting progress is said to be 8% complete versus 5% for the previous week and compares to a five-year average of 12%.
The winter wheat crop condition report was released for the second time in 2008. The 18 states, which made up the majority of 2007 production, came in at 47% good to excellent versus 45% the previous week. One year ago, conditions were closer to 55% good to excellent with a five-year average around to 53%. The trade was anticipating Monday's report to come in a range of 45% to 47% good to excellent. Individual states we have been reporting on for several weeks are as follows, Texas good to excellent conditions at
22% versus 21% a week earlier, Oklahoma good to excellent conditions at 56% compares to 51% a week earlier and Kansas good to excellent conditions at 45% versus 44% a week earlier.
In winter wheat regions around the United States, quantitative weather maps looking 5 days out are forecasting generous amounts of rain for the Hard Red Winter Wheat region of western Kansas. A much more difficult situation is developing in the Soft Red Winter Wheat area in the southern Midwest as young wheat is suffering from the lack of fertilizer application because of muddy conditions.
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