Monday, May 5, 2008

USDA Crop Progress Report, May 5, 2008

Behind, starting to get talk of switching corn acreage to beans.

CORN-For the 18 states that planted 91% of last year's crop, 2008 27% vs. '03-'07 average 59%.
RICE- For the 6 states that planted 100% of last year's crop, 2008 31% emerged vs. '03-07 average 50%.
SOYBEANS- For the 18 states that planted 95% of last years crop, 2008 5% vs '03-07 average 14%.
Winter WHEAT: 26% had headed vs. 38% trailing average.

Here's the 7 page PDF.
USDA Weather:

In the West, cool weather is confined to southern California, while near- to above-normal temperatures prevail elsewhere. Warmth is especially beneficial in the Northwest, where persistently cold conditions since mid-March have slowed crop development and threatened fruits and other crops.

• On the Plains, isolated thunderstorms dot areas from Kansas southward. Producers on the central and southern High Plains are evaluating the effects of last week’s freezes on winter wheat. Dalhart, Texas, reported four freezes (April 27-28 and May 2-3) last week, while temperatures as low as 20 degrees F were reported on May 3 in eastern Colorado.

• In the Corn Belt, chilly weather lingers in the vicinity of the Great Lakes. Elsewhere in the Midwest, mild, dry weather favors corn planting and other fieldwork, except in areas of lingering excessive wetness.

• In the South, showers are mostly confined to the southern Mid-Atlantic region and the western Gulf Coast region. In the latter region, rain is beneficial for emerging rice and other summer crops.