According to USDA’s April 7 crop progress report, rice planting is now complete on 11 percent of intended U.S. acres, compared to 21 percent this time last year. Louisiana is 51 percent complete, compared to 47 percent last year, while Texas is 63 percent planted compared to 39 percent last year. Planting in Arkansas, 2 percent and Mississippi, 1 percent, is just underway, while Missouri and California producers are still waiting to get into fields.

Cotton is 7 percent planted, but there’s activity in only three states, Arizona, 20 percent planted, California, 25 percent planted and Texas 12 percent planted.

Twenty percent of intended grain sorghum is now in the ground. Only Louisiana, 16 percent, and Texas, 53 percent, report plantings.

USDA reports that 45 percent of the nation’s winter wheat crop is in good to excellent condition, compared with 64 percent at this time last year. Forty-four percent of the Arkansas wheat crop is reported in good to excellent condition, while 53 percent is listed fair to poor.

email: erobinson@farmpress.com