USDA winter wheat ratings hit 4-year low; corn 57% planted, soy 49% done

By Julie Ingwersen

CHICAGO, May 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday rated 28% of the nation's winter ‌wheat crop in good-to-excellent condition, a drop of 3 ‌percentage points from the previous week and the lowest for this time of ​year since 2022.

• The good-to-excellent ratings for winter wheat bucked trade expectations for a 1-point improvement. Analysts surveyed by Reuters on average had expected the USDA to rate 32% of the crop as ‌good-to-excellent, with estimates ranging ⁠from 30% to 34% good-to-excellent.

• In Kansas, the largest U.S. winter wheat producer, the USDA rated 17% ⁠of the state's crop as good to excellent as of Sunday, down from 22% the prior week. Weekly wheat ratings also declined in ​Nebraska, ​Oklahoma and Texas.

• Drought has gripped ​much of the Plains, ‌the main U.S. winter wheat region. Approximately 70% of the U.S. winter wheat crop is in an area experiencing drought, the government said last week, compared to 22% a year ago.

• Farmers continued to plant spring crops. For corn, the USDA said planting ‌was 57% complete by Sunday, ahead of ​the average analyst estimate of 55% ​and the five-year average ​pace of 52%.

• Soybean planting was 49% complete, ‌the USDA reported, ahead of the ​average trade estimate ​of 48% and the five-year average of 36%.

• Spring wheat planting was 53% complete, the USDA said, above the average ​analyst estimate of ‌50% and the five-year average of 51%.

All figures in ​percent:

Category Analyst Analyst USDA USDA

average range last this

week week

Corn planted (percent) 55 48-60 38 57

Soybeans planted (percent) 48 44-52 33 49

Spring wheat planted (percent) 50 45-58 32 53

Winter wheat conditions* 32 30-34 31 28

*Percent good/excellent

(Reporting by Julie ​Ingwersen; Editing by Paul Simao)