US Wheat Conditions Decline - USDA

The USDA reported worsening conditions in the major wheat growing states of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas in it's weekly report last night. These three states grow almost half of the US winter wheat crop, with Kansas alone accounting for nearly a quarter of the nation's crop.

KANSAS saw the percentage of the crop rated good/excellent fall five points from a week ago to 45%. The poor/very poor category is now 17%, up two points from last week. Most of Kansas remained dry this previous week, said the USDA, with only counties in the Central and Northeast reporting precipitation. Topsoil moisture is rated as 27 percent very short, 35 percent short, 37 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.

OKLAHOMA received virtually no rain last week, continuing the decline of small grain crop conditions from dry weather, the USDA said. Good/excellent is down two points to 21%, whilst 43% of the crop is now rated poor/very poor.Oklahoma

TEXAS the northern part of the state received just trace amounts of rainfall while the rest of the state observed little to no moisture, the USDA said. Just 10% of wheat is rated good/excellent with 63% in the poor/very poor category.