Midwest Crop Conditions Remain Good, Southern Crops Struggling

Cotton harvest on the South Plains near Lubbock, Texas. Cotton plants at sunset. (Courtesy: USDA NRCS Texas)

WASHINGTON, DC – USDA is reporting improvement with corn condition ratings, 72 percent rated good to excellent compared to 57 percent at the same time last year. Soybean crop conditions are also improving with 73 percent rated good to excellent compared to 54 percent last year.

Conditions across the cotton belt have deteriorated to 45 percent rated good to excellent compared 49 percent last week and 54 percent last year. Plains Cotton Growers is reporting more than 75 percent of the dryland crop on the High Plains has been abandoned, mainly due to drought.

According to USDA reports, 54 percent of the sorghum crop is good to excellent which is down from 68 percent last year. In addition, 58 percent of pasture and rangeland conditions were rated good to excellent at this time last year. Today, however, the conditions have fallen to 36 percent good to excellent.
(SOURCE: USDA)