US winter wheat planting made just modest progress this past week, falling well short of trade expectations.
According to Monday’s USDA crop progress report, 73% of the 2025 crop was in the ground as of Sunday. That is up 9 points from the previous week and near 74% last year and the five-year average of 76%, but well below the average pre-report trade guess of 82%.
Planting remains especially slow in Oklahoma, where overly dry soil conditions have forced some producers to await better moisture. Some rain did fall on the southern Plains over the weekend, with the extreme western parts of Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle seeing up to 2 inches. Some areas of Kansas also got some relief, but the heart of Hard Red Winter country failed to get much rain, World Weather said in a report today.
Just 55% of the Oklahoma winter wheat crop was planted as of Sunday, up from 43% the previous week and far behind 69% last year and 71% on average. Less than one-third (32%) of the Oklahoma crop had emerged as of Sunday, up from 20% a week earlier but lagging 46% last year and 49% on average.
The Kansas crop was 78% planted as of Sunday, up 10 points on the week and near 81% last year and 79% on average. Almost half of the Kansas crop (48%) had emerged, up from 36% a week earlier but behind 52% last year and 51% on average.
Planting of the Soft Red Winter crop in Michigan was 77% done as of Sunday, compared to 65% a week earlier, 53% last year and 68% on average. The Michigan crop was 49% emerged, up from 31% a week earlier, 10 points ahead of last year and 5 points ahead of average.
The Ohio winter wheat crop was 77% planted, up from 58% a week earlier and ahead of 67% and 76% for last year and the average. An estimated 36% of the Ohio crop had emerged as of Sunday, a gain of 18 points on the week. That is ahead of 28% last year but 2 points behind the average.
