The US spring wheat harvest pushed above last year's pace to reach 36pc complete the week ended 17 August, pulling in line with its five-year average, according to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Quicker-than-normal harvests in Oregon, Idaho, and Minnesota helped offset slower work in North and South Dakota as the overall harvest advanced by 20 percentage points from the week prior.
The national average good-to-excellent rating for spring wheat gained 1 point week-over-week, as gains in most states offset a 2 point decline in both Minnesota and South Dakota. Overall, the good-to-excellent rating for US spring wheat stood at 50pc, 1 point behind the five-year average.
The winter wheat harvest continues to inch towards its end, gaining by 4 points to reach 94pc completion during the week ended 17 August. That figure is 1 point behind the five-year average, weighed down primarily by slower-than-normal progress in Montana, North Dakota and Utah.
Winter wheat conditions improved in Montana, with the rate of good-to-excellent crop rising by 9 points to 38pc. Crops worsened by the same magnitude in North Dakota, falling to 49pc good-to-excellent.
Corn
The USDA recorded the first batch of mature corn during the week ended 17 August, with 3pc of the crop reaching the final stage of development before harvest.
Nationally, 72pc of the corn crop has reached the dough stage, with 27pc dented. All three of those marks are within 1 point of their respective five-year averages.
Overall corn conditions are at 71pc good-to-excellent, edging down by 1 point from the week prior. Michigan's corn fell by 3 points to 48pc good-to-excellent, 15pp behind its five-year average. Most of the quality loss did not occur in the Corn Belt, though, with heavy rains instead impacting southern states throughout the week.
Moderate rain forecasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in key corn-growing states for the week ahead are unlikely to have substantial impact on crop conditions.
Soybeans
Soybean development continues to maintain average pace, with 82pc of the crop setting pods during the week ended 17 August.
Crop development remained behind pace in the western portion of the corn belt, with pod setting behind the five-year average rate in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Soybean conditions were overall unchanged last week, holding at 68pc good-to-excellent. As with corn, soybeans in southern states suffered during the week, while crop in key producing states like Illinois and Michigan gained in quality.
