The outlook for US winter wheat improved sharply over the week ending 27 April following much needed rain.
US winter wheat acres rated in good-to excellent condition gained four percentage points over the prior week, according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, reaching 49pc of the crop.
Kansas, the largest US winter wheat state by acres, had been trending towards being a point of concern as the good-to-excellent ration for the wheat crop in the state had fallen by 10 percentage points from the week of 6 April. With the recent update, Kansas winter wheat was rated 47pc in good-to-excellent condition, 14 percentage points ahead of the five-year average.
Other key winter wheat states improved as well, with the good-to-excellent ratios in Nebraska and Texas increasing by three and four percentage points, respectively. In contrast, crop conditions in Wyoming continued to fall, down 37 percentage points from the five-year average with only 2pc of the crop rated in good-to-excellent condition.
The week ahead could see additional improvements for Kansas and Texas, with large portions of the two states projected to receive a half an inch of rain or more over the next seven days according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Colorado and Wyoming are projected to receive rain as well, but current estimates suggest it is likely to be too far west, and too small an amount to have a significant impact.
Corn, soy planting pace divided by rain
US corn planting remained largely on-pace, with 24pc of the crop planted as of 27 April, two percentage points ahead of the five-year average according to USDA data.
Large gains were made across the western half of the US corn belt, with Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas advancing 12 percentage points or more during the week.
In states east of the Mississippi River, the pace of planting has been slower due to wet fields and continuous precipitation. As of 27 April, corn planting in Illinois was 10 percentage points behind the five-year average, while Wisconsin and Indianan were both three percentage points behind.
Soybean planting made progress as well, increasing by 10 percentage points from the prior week to 18pc planted.
The week ahead is likely to see planting advance more slowly and could result in the discrepancy in planting pace between the eastern and western half of the US increase. Heavy precipitation is projected to occur across most of the central US starting the evening of 28 April, and persist into the middle of the week according to NOAA projections. By 1 May, precipitation is expected to be mostly moved out of the western portion, with rains projected to occur east of the Mississippi into the coming weekend.
