USDA Wraps Up 2023’s Crop Progress Reports

The final USDA Crop Progress report for 2023 suggests a few Missouri farmers still have corn standing amid this week’s snowfall.  The weekly update shows one percent of fields still needing to be harvested as of Sunday, in line with a year ago but one point better than the five-year average.  One percent of the Bootheel’s cotton crop is also awaiting harvest, one point better than a year ago and three points ahead of normal.

Wheat emergence is 10 points ahead of normal, at 92 percent.  That’s also one point better than a year ago.  Conditions strengthened significantly, with 71 percent rated good to excellent, a 10-point gain week-over-week.  Five percent of the crop is considered poor.

Just over five days were suitable for fieldwork last week, as temperatures were 2.6 degrees below normal at 38.6°F.  Precipitation was still below normal at 0.67″.  Only 30 percent of Missouri farmers are believed to have enough hay on hand, while 45 percent are believed to have enough stock water.  45 percent of Missouri topsoil and 37 percent of subsoil appear to have adequate moisture.