The latest government snapshot of the Kansas winter wheat crop shows a mixed outlook after a month of cold, snowy weather.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that wheat fields started to green up and show signs of growth as snow melted in February. But concerns persist about the potential for winterkill because of the season’s extremely low temperatures.
The report rated the crop’s condition as 4 percent very poor and 18 percent poor. About 44 percent was rated fair, with 32 percent rated good and 2 percent rated excellent.
Cold weather also challenged Kansas ranchers who had cows calving during February. Cattle and calf conditions were rated as 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 48 percent fair, 46 percent good and 2 excellent.
