WASHINGTON — Winter wheat in the 18 major states was 92% emerged as of Nov. 23 compared with 89% as the 2009-13 average, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its most recent Crop Progress report, which was the last update of the season.
Crop conditions of winter wheat were rated 58% good to excellent in the latest week compared with 60% the previous week and 62% the same week a year ago. Rated fair was 36% compared with 34% the previous week and 30% a year ago. Six per cent was rated very poor to poor, unchanged from a week earlier and two percentage points lower than last year.
As hard red winter and soft red winter wheat progressed toward dormancy, harvests of fall crops mostly hovered around five-year averages.
The U.S.D.A. said 94% of the corn crop in the 18 major states was harvested as of Nov. 23 compared with 92% as the five-year average. Top producers Iowa and Illinois were 96% and 97% harvested, respectively.
Soybeans were 97% harvested in the 18 major states compared with 98% as the five-year average. Leading producers Iowa and Illinois were 99% and 100% harvested, respectively.
Sorghum was 88% harvested in the 11 major states compared with 91% as the average for the date. Sunflowers in the four major states were 86% harvested compared with 90% as the average. Peanuts were 97% harvested in the eight major states compared with 95% as the average, the U.S.D.A. said. The cotton harvest was 77% completed in the 15 major states compared with 83% as the five-year average for the date.