![]() Although 2021 spring wheat planted area was down 5.5% from 2020, harvested area was down 7%, suggesting a larger number of abandoned acres. Average yield was forecast at 30.7 bus an acre, down 37% from 2020 and the lowest since 2002. The USDA’s initial spring wheat other than durum production forecast for 2021 was 344,575,000 bus, down 41% from 2020 and the lowest since 205,460,000 bus in 1988. The ratings were the lowest since the drought year of 1988. ![]() The US spring wheat crop was rated 16% good to excellent on July 11, 29% fair and 55% very poor to poor compared with 68% good to excellent last year. “Ranchers in Lincoln County reported they are beginning to sell livestock.” Other ranchers already were moving livestock to fall and winter pastures.ĭrought conditions also are reducing crop potential in the Upper Midwest. “There were multiple reports of worsening livestock conditions this week,” the Wyoming USDA state field office said for the week ended July 11. The USDA rated pasture conditions as very poor to poor as of July 11 at 85% in Washington (11% fair), 71% in Oregon (19%), 47% in Idaho (36%), 80% in Montana (18%), 48% in Wyoming (37%), 71% in North Dakota (23%) and 66% in South Dakota (28%). The state’s cherry crop was expected still to be good, but not the bumper crop originally expected. Washington is the nation’s largest apple producing state. High temperatures creased issues for orchards with little labor to get fruit off before heat affected the quality.” Fingers were crossed so far for the state’s apple crop with harvest still a few weeks away. In Washington, the state USDA office reported “widespread damage to raspberries and blueberries. Late summer and fall water availability did not look good for grass, vegetable, garlic and carrot seed fields.” Vegetable crops were fine where there was good water supply. Blueberry crop harvest was condensed with the hot weather due to early, mid and late season varieties maturing together. Spring crops were in very poor shape due to the high temperatures and drought conditions. “In northeast Oregon, winter wheat harvest started,” the Oregon USDA field office said. Apples and other tree fruits have been “sunburned” to the point of reduced value or will be shifted from retail to processing. Some fruit berry crops in the key Pacific Northwest producing region have been damaged or deemed not adequate to harvest. Subsoil moisture rated very short to short by the US Department of Agriculture as of July 11 was 85% in Washington (15% adequate), 88% in Oregon (12%), 63% in Idaho (37%), 94% in Montana (6%), 76% in Wyoming, 80% in North Dakota (20%) and 83% in South Dakota (17%).Ĭrop conditions vary widely as irrigated field and horticultural crops can survive as long as water supplies hold out, but that is a growing concern as some western growers already have accessed their “senior” water rights, which means irrigation water will bypass “junior” rights holders and flow to those holding rights the longest.
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