The US winter wheat crop is headed into the winter on a positive note.
In its final crop report for the 2023 growing season on Monday, the USDA pegged the condition of the American winter wheat crop at 50% good to excellent as of Sunday. That is up 2 points from a week earlier and is 3 points above the 2024 crop’s initial condition rating at the end of October, which was the highest in four years. But perhaps most importantly, the 2024 crop is rated a substantial 16 points higher than a year earlier.
Just 15% of the 2024 crop was rated in poor to very poor condition as of Sunday, down from more than one-quarter (26%) last year.
In the top production state of Kansas, the crop was rated 32% good to excellent as of Sunday, down a single point on the week but up from 21% last year. At 53% good to excellent, the condition rating for the Oklahoma crop was up a hefty 9 points on the week and 22 points above a year ago.
The condition of the Soft Red crop in Michigan improved 3 points from a week earlier to reach 46% good to excellent as of Sunday, although still below 67% the previous year. The Ohio crop slipped another 2 points on the week to fall to 80% good to excellent as of Sunday but that is still above last year’s 58% good to excellent condition rating.
The USDA will issue monthly winter wheat condition ratings for some states beginning at the end of December.
