(Baking Business) – The 2014 corn harvest was under way in 9 of the 18 major states as of Sept. 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its most recent Crop Progress report.
A total of 4% of the crop was harvested in the latest week compared with 4% on the same date a year ago and 9% as the five-year average for the date.
No harvesting had yet taken place in top-producing Iowa as of Sept. 14 compared with 5% as the average for the date. In Illinois, 2% of the harvest was complete in the latest week compared with 13% as the average. The most harvest progress was in Texas, where 59% of the crop was harvested by Sept. 14 compared with 61% as the average, and North Carolina, where 52% of the crop was harvested as of Sept. 14 compared with 58% as the average.
The U.S.D.A. pegged 74% of the corn crop good to excellent in the 18 major states, 19% fair and 7% very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week. Last year on the same date, 53% of the crop was rated good to excellent.
Eighty-two per cent of the corn crop in the 18 major states was dented as of Sept. 14, the U.S.D.A. said, compared with 85% as the five-year average. A total of 27% of the crop in the 18 major states was mature in the latest week compared with 39% as the average.
Hard red winter wheat plantings of the 2014-15 crop were under way in several major states. Wheat was 5% planted in top-producing Kansas as of Sept. 14 compared with 5% as the five-year average, the U.S.D.A. said. Hard red winter wheat was 14% planted in Oklahoma (6% as five-year average), 8% in Texas (12%), 26% in Nebraska (27%), 23% in Montana (16%) and 14% in South Dakota (19%), the U.S.D.A. said.
The U.S.D.A. reported that 74% of the spring wheat crop was harvested in the six major states as of Sept. 14, compared with 86% as the five-year average. In top-producing North Dakota, 65% of the crop was combined by Sept. 14 compared with the average of 84%. Last year on the same date, 89% of the crop was harvested.
Twenty-four per cent of the soybean crop in the 18 major states was dropping leaves as of Sept. 14 compared with 32% as the average. The U.S.D.A. rated 72% of the crop as good to excellent, 22% fair and 6% very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week. In the same week a year ago, 50% of the crop was rated good to excellent, the U.S.D.A. said.
The oats harvest was 92% completed in the nine major states as of Sept. 14, the U.S.D.A. said, compared with 99% as the five-year average.
Thirty-six per cent of the rice crop was harvested in the six major states as of Sept. 14 compared with 45% as the five-year average, the U.S.D.A. said. Seventy-four per cent of the crop was rated good to excellent in the latest week, unchanged from the previous week.
