Winter wheat conditions improve

Winter wheat conditions have improved this year compared with last year’s crop conditions, according to a report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The percentage of winter wheat in fair, good or excellent condition improved to 67 percent, according to this week’s Colorado Crop Progress report. The percentage of winter wheat in poor or very poor condition dropped to 33 percent.

The same week last year, 57 percent of winter wheat crop was rated in fair, good or excellent condition, while 43 percent of the crop was in poor or very poor condition.

Plentiful precipitation has aided farmers as they approach summer harvest of winter wheat. Farmers typically plant the crop in September and October and harvest it the following July.

Colorado farmers, however, had 2.85 million acres of winter wheat planted in March, compared with 2.9 million acres last year, according to the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers.

Richard Seaworth of Seaworth Farms in Larimer County said he did not plant winter wheat because of lower prices last year. Wheat prices, however, have since risen, he said.

The 10-year average for Colorado winter wheat totals 2.4 million acres planted.

In 2010, Colorado enjoyed a record harvest of 45 bushels per acre for a total of 105.8 million bushels.

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