USDA Crop Progress Report-- August 30, 2021

In its new weekly update, USDA says the national corn condition rating remained unchanged at 60 percent good to excellent as the crop races for the finish line. Illinois reported a three point improvement this week, but Indiana and Ohio both declined by two points. Nine percent of the nation's crop has already reached full maturity.

The average national soybean condition also stayed unchanged from last week - remaining at 56 percent good to excellent. Noteworthy movers included Illinois improving by four points and Ohio going down five points.

The national cotton condition rating declined by just one point this week to 70 percent good to excellent. While most of the key producing states reported declines in their crop condition including North Carolina going down by four points, Alabama bucked the trend and increased by nine points.

The grain sorghum (milo) condition rating saw a significant loss of four points on the national average - taking it down to 58 percent this week. The biggest losers were Nebraska and Kansas going down eight and six points respectively. Texas made good progress in its grain sorghum harvest as it pushed up to 63 percent done. Other states have yet to show up on the harvest progress report yet.

Peanut conditions saw some big moves among the states even though the national average only went up one point to 76 percent good to excellent. Alabama improved by 10 points since last week and Florida jumped upward by nine points. But, offsetting that was South Carolina dropping 10 points.

Not much change in the rice conditions this week as harvest is already well underway. The national average rating stayed the same at 77 percent good to excellent. Missouri and Mississippi both saw improvement with gains of four and five percentage points respectively. Nationwide, the rice harvest is up to 19 percent complete, but that is still three points behind the five year average pace. Louisiana surged up to 74 percent completion on their rice harvest as farmers hustled to gather what they could before Hurricane Ida arrived.

Spring wheat harvest is in its final stages having reached 88 percent completion nationwide. South Dakota, Minnesota, and Washington state are basically done with harvest while Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota have roughly 15 percent to go.

Pasture conditions in Kansas saw a decline of eight points in its good to excellent rating - taking it down to only 39 percent. Texas dropped five points and Colorado went down three. Oddly enough, Oklahoma improved by one point.

Much the same cast of characters as last week in the topsoil moisture deficit rankings. Washington state continues to show the driest conditions at 94 percent short to very short.

In the subsoil moisture deficit report, Montana edged out Washington state by one point as it showed 91 percent of its acres were short to very short. That is the same as its rating last week. Washington is now in second place only because its rating improved by two points. However, it's all relative since Washington is still at a critical 90 percent short to very short level.