The American winter wheat harvest has passed the halfway mark, with the crop now completely off in Oklahoma.
According to Monday’s USDA crop progress report, the nationwide harvest reached 54% complete as of Sunday, up 14 points from a week earlier and well ahead of last year (33%) and the five-year average (39%).
In the top production state of Kansas, the harvest advanced 27 points to 80% complete, versus just 39% last year and 49% on average. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma harvest moved to 100% done from 95% a week earlier and 84% on average.
The latest daily harvest report from Kansas Wheat said that while yields in the state are highly variable, “test weights, protein and optimism remain strong.” In fact, Gary Gantz, president of D.E. Bondurant Grain Co. Inc.in Ness City, which operates the last remaining private grain elevator in Kansas, reported this year’s wheat crop in that area of the state is nearly double what was taken in last year.
The Michigan harvest was reported at 3% complete as of Sunday, about a week ahead of last year and the average.
Meanwhile, the Ohio harvest advanced 32 points on the week to reach 49% complete as of Sunday, compared to only 4% last year and 14% on average.
In Illinois, an estimated 89% of the winter wheat crop was in the bin as of Sunday, 21 points ahead of average.
The condition of the Michigan winter wheat crop was down a single point from the previous week to 75% good to excellent as of Sunday, while Ohio was up 2 points at 72%.
The US crop was rated 51% good to excellent, down 1 point from a week earlier but well above 40% last year.
