Drought is continuing to retreat across the US winter wheat production area.
The latest weekly update of the US drought monitor shows some form of drought was impacting just 43% of the American winter wheat production region as of Tuesday. That is down from 57% a week earlier and the lowest since August – before conditions turned exceptionally dry across large portions of the US in both September and October.
Drought has fallen markedly in the top winter wheat state of Kansas, as well as Oklahoma, over the past two weeks.
About one-third of Kansas was being impacted by some form of drought as of Tuesday, versus 54% a week earlier and 76% two weeks ago. That portion of the state experiencing severe to exceptional drought fell to around 3%, compared to 11% a week earlier and 32% just two weeks prior.
In Oklahoma, some form of drought was impacting 47% of the state as of Tuesday, a 20-point fall from a week ago, while that portion impacted by severe to exceptional drought plunged to only 9% from 42%.
The latest drought improvement comes after between 2 and 4 inches of precipitation fell on a large swath covering the eastern half of Colorado, most of central and western Kansas, and adjacent Nebraska. Meanwhile, low pressure systems dropped over 2 inches of rain on a large part of central and western Oklahoma and much of the Texas Panhandle, with localized totals exceeding 4 inches in the eastern Texas Panhandle northward to the Oklahoma/Kansas border.
Improving weather for the US crop has been a key factor in driving wheat futures lower, along with a stronger American dollar.
Monday’s USDA crop progress report pegged the nationwide crop at 44% good to excellent as of Sunday, up from the government’s initial rating at the end of October of 38% - the second worst since 1986.
