US spring wheat planting blew well past the halfway point this past week and is now nearing two-thirds complete.
Monday’s USDA crop progress report showed the national spring wheat crop at 61% planted as of Sunday, up from 47% a week earlier and just shy of the average pre-report trade guess of 62%. Planting is progressing well ahead of last year and the five-year average pace at 35% and 48%, respectively.
Planting in Minnesota jumped 20 points on the week to 71% complete, compared to just 22% last year and 41% on average, while Montana was 63% done, up 11 points from a week earlier and 7 points ahead of average. In the top production state of North Dakota, planting advanced 17 points to reach 49% complete, versus 17% last year and 34% on average. The South Dakota crop was 88% planted, up from 79% a week earlier and ahead of 76% last year and 73% on average.
The US spring wheat crop was 25% emerged as of Sunday, up from 12% the previous week and 7 points ahead of average.
The Minnesota crop was already 40% emerged, compared to only 17% on average, while emergence in Montana was 5 points behind average at 18%. The North Dakota crop was 18% emerged, 5 points ahead of average, and South Dakota was 20 points ahead at 57% emerged.
