Image
PROMO 64S Agriculture - Stats Statistics Tablet Symbols Farm Ranch - iStock - monkeybusinessimages

Ag stats: Wyoming crop progress and condition report – week ending October 24, 2021

© iStock - monkeybusinessimpages

This week brought widespread precipitation, but another week of warm temperatures to Wyoming, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Much of the State received much needed moisture this week, with precipitation totals over 0.4 inches for most of the State. Localized areas in the southeastern corner remained dry, with totals around 0.05 inches.

Goshen and Platte counties reported significant moisture was received this week. Big Horn County reported substantial moisture as well, however, the moisture was received too late to improve grazing conditions.

Lincoln County reported that moisture received so far this fall has been generous, however, it was received too late in the growing season to improve crop conditions. The rainfall is helping improve soil moisture and there are hopes for significant snowpack.

Temperatures remained on the warm side again this week. Much of the State was 2 to 6 degrees warmer than average for this time of year. Counties along the eastern border of the State were once again the hottest this week, with temperatures 6 to 10 degrees above average.

According to the United States Drought Monitor for October 21, 2021, 100.0 percent of the State continues to experience drought conditions and the amount of land rated as abnormally dry remains at 2.1 percent. Moderate drought conditions increased 8.9 percentage points from 24.8 percent last week to 33.7 percent this week. Severe drought covered 42.2 percent of the State, a slight decrease from 43.0 percent last week. Extreme drought was present across 22.0 percent of the State, compared to 30.1 percent last week. 

Producers in Lincoln County continue to report hay storage problems, mostly due to elevated hay prices.

Niobrara county received wet snow storms this week that improved livestock water supplies and topsoil moisture; however, subsoil moisture is still reported as very poor for the county.

Although the moisture received this week was welcomed, Big Horn County producers reported the wet fields delayed sugarbeet harvest during the week.

There were similar reports in Platte County of slowed sugarbeet harvest because equipment was unable to get into saturated fields. Platte county producers reported that some corn is now dry enough to harvest for grain.

Sugarbeet harvest is behind last year. Harvest this week was 71 percent complete, compared to 89 percent this time last year.

Corn harvested for grain remains behind last year, with harvest this week reported at 23 percent complete, compared to 74 percent this time last year.

Stock water supplies across Wyoming were rated 20 percent very short, 48 percent short, 31 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus compared to 21 percent very short, 57 percent short, and 22 percent adequate last week.

CROP AND LIVESTOCK PROGRESS

Commodity

Current week

Previous week

Previous year

5-year average

 

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Alfalfa 

    

3rd cutting harvested 

96 

93 

94 

91 

Corn 

    

Mature 

96 

88 

NA 

NA 

Harvested for grain 

23 

18 

74 

36 

Sugarbeets 

    

Harvested 

71 

52 

89 

74 

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELDWORK AND SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION

 

Current week

Previous week

Previous year

5-year average

Days suitable for fieldwork 

5.5 

4.8 

4.9 

5.9 

Topsoil moisture 

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Very short 

23 

29 

45 

17 

Short 

38 

42 

33 

32 

Adequate 

37 

28 

22 

48 

Surplus 

-- 

Subsoil moisture 

    

Very short 

27 

31 

59 

22 

Short 

45 

49 

28 

35 

Adequate 

28 

19 

13 

42 

Surplus 

-- 

-- 

CROP, LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE CONDITION

Commodity

Current week

Previous week

Previous year

5-year average

 

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Corn 

    

Very poor 

-- 

-- 

NA 

NA 

Poor 

-- 

-- 

NA 

NA 

Fair 

NA 

NA 

Good 

88 

87 

NA 

NA 

Excellent 

NA 

NA 

Pasture and range 

    

Very poor 

22 

31 

37 

14 

Poor 

33 

39 

34 

18 

Fair 

35 

27 

29 

34 

Good 

-- 

30 

Excellent 

-- 

-- 

Winter wheat 

    

Very poor 

-- 

Poor 

16 

Fair 

70 

72 

36 

28 

Good 

17 

20 

36 

59 

Excellent 

-- 

Livestock 

    

Very poor 

-- 

-- 

-- 

-- 

Poor 

Fair 

29 

38 

25 

15 

Good 

64 

55 

72 

78 

Excellent 

--