WASHINGTON — Good-to-excellent condition ratings for the U.S. corn crop as of July 13 were at their highest point in 10 years, an analyst with the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Milling & Baking News. The soybean crop this July has reached the highest level of July good-to-excellent ratings since 1994, he added.
The U.S.D.A. Crop Progress report for the week ended July 13 pegged the percentage of the corn crop in the 18 major states in good-to-excellent condition at 76% compared with 75% the previous week.
The U.S.D.A. said 34% of the corn crop was in the silking stage as of July 13 compared with the five-year average of 33% for the date. Silking is required for pollination, which is key to determining grain yields.
The condition of the soybean crop was rated 72% good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week, the U.S.D.A. said. Forty-one per cent of the soybean crop in the 18 major states was blooming as of July 13, compared with the five-year average of 37%.
The harvest of hard red winter wheat and soft red winter wheat in the 18 major states reached a combined total of 69% as of July 13 compared with the five-year average of 68%.
The hard red winter wheat harvest was close to completion in top-producing Kansas (90% compared with a 96% average), Oklahoma (97% compared with a 98% average) and Texas (99% compared with a 97% average.
Several soft red winter wheat states were nearing the finish to their harvests, including Illinois, 90% complete (compared with a 91% average), Missouri, 95% (98%), North Carolina, 97% (96%) and Arkansas, 99% (100%).
The U.S.D.A. said spring wheat heading in the six major states reached 69% as of July 13 compared with a five-year average of 68%. Seventy per cent of the crop was rated good to excellent in the latest week, unchanged from the previous week.
The oats harvest in the nine major states was 29% complete as of July 13 compared with a five-year average of 16%. Ninety per cent of the crop was headed compared with the 92% average for the date. The U.S.D.A. said 64% of the crop was rated good to excellent as of July 13, unchanged from the previous week.