US winter wheat harvesting pace accelerates; spring wheat crop's condition declines: USDA

New Delhi — The pace of US winter wheat harvesting across the major 18 growing states accelerated in the week that ended June 21, reaching 29%, 16 percentage points above the year-ago level and 3 points ahead of the five-year average pace, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service data released June 23.

However, the winter wheat harvest's progress was slightly below average analyst expectations of 30%.

The condition of the winter wheat crop improved slightly compared with the previous week's levels, with 52% of the crop seen in good to excellent condition in the most recent reporting week.

For some regions, the number of winter wheat areas experiencing drought has increased, the US Department of Agriculture said in a separate report released recently. NASS is the statistical arm of the USDA.

Major winter wheat producing states like Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado have been facing dry conditions in a large part of their area under cultivation.

According to the NASS data, good-to-excellent winter wheat conditions in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado were 44%, 50%, 34% and 29%, respectively, below than the national average.

The winter wheat crop is 96% headed, higher than the year-ago pace of 93%, but slightly lower than the five-year average of 97%. Heading occurs when the head of the wheat plant fully emerges from the stem.

Spring wheat progress

Spring wheat conditions across the six major wheat-producing states were seen to be worse than the prior week, with 75% of the crop rated in good to excellent condition as of June 21.

North Dakota, the top spring wheat producing state, has been experiencing "significant dryness," according to weather agency Maxar.

North Dakota is expected to miss out on the rain over this week, which could allow dryness to persist, the agency said in a previous note.

As of June 16, the USDA estimated about 39% of North Dakota's spring wheat crop area fell in the moderate drought category.

Spring wheat is 12% headed in the six states covered by the survey, 6 percentage points higher than the last year, but 10 points below the five-year average pace of 22%.