Crop Progress ISSN: 1948-3007 Released November 26, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Special Note COMING SOON - NASS's annual December surveys on crops and livestock. In the first two weeks of December, NASS will survey approximately 85,000 United States producers. One of USDA's largest survey efforts, the responses will provide the final information about the 2012 U.S. row crops focusing on harvested acreage, production, and storage. In addition, hog producers will be asked about their current inventory, pig crop, and farrowing intentions for the next six months. With both data collection and data release taking place over a span of only four weeks, the results will be available beginning with the Hogs and Pigs report on December 28, followed by the Annual Crop Production Summary and other reports on January 11. Farmers should watch for their survey and be sure to respond. Your information matters! Cotton Harvested - Selected States [These 15 States harvested 98% of the 2011 cotton acreage] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending : :-----------------------------------------: State :November 25, :November 18, :November 25, : 2007-2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : Average ------------------------------------------------------------------------ : percent : Alabama ........: 84 90 95 87 Arizona ........: 65 55 65 69 Arkansas .......: 100 99 100 97 California .....: 93 95 98 94 Georgia ........: 83 73 79 79 Kansas .........: 84 78 84 57 Louisiana ......: 100 100 100 99 Mississippi ....: 100 99 100 99 Missouri .......: 97 95 97 96 North Carolina .: 91 78 88 90 Oklahoma .......: 74 79 86 65 South Carolina .: 87 73 80 89 Tennessee ......: 99 98 99 97 Texas ..........: 90 80 87 76 Virginia .......: 92 90 94 90 : 15 States ......: 90 84 89 85 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Winter Wheat Emerged - Selected States [These 18 States planted 88% of the 2011 winter wheat acreage] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending : :-----------------------------------------: State :November 25, :November 18, :November 25, : 2007-2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : Average ------------------------------------------------------------------------ : percent : Arkansas .......: 89 84 94 80 California .....: 61 35 55 49 Colorado .......: 99 91 94 98 Idaho ..........: 99 95 97 98 Illinois .......: 97 87 94 93 Indiana ........: 96 93 97 92 Kansas .........: 97 95 97 94 Michigan .......: 99 98 100 99 Missouri .......: 88 80 90 79 Montana ........: 89 66 68 95 Nebraska .......: 100 92 95 100 North Carolina .: 58 30 45 52 Ohio ...........: 87 90 94 95 Oklahoma .......: 96 86 89 93 Oregon .........: 87 80 89 91 South Dakota ...: 100 53 60 100 Texas ..........: 71 79 85 78 Washington .....: 97 93 97 95 : 18 States ......: 91 84 88 90 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Winter Wheat Condition - Selected States: Week Ending November 25, 2012 [National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2011 planted acreage] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent : Arkansas .......: 2 2 33 52 11 California .....: - - 10 40 50 Colorado .......: 8 26 48 18 - Idaho ..........: - 1 22 64 13 Illinois .......: - 5 26 65 4 Indiana ........: - 1 27 53 19 Kansas .........: 6 19 46 28 1 Michigan .......: - 3 25 52 20 Missouri .......: - 3 44 48 5 Montana ........: 2 7 62 27 2 Nebraska .......: 15 31 40 14 - North Carolina .: 1 2 30 65 2 Ohio ...........: - 1 29 58 12 Oklahoma .......: 12 32 42 13 1 Oregon .........: - - 39 60 1 South Dakota ...: 24 40 34 2 - Texas ..........: 12 28 39 18 3 Washington .....: - 3 30 56 11 : 18 States ......: 7 19 41 29 4 : Previous week ..: 5 19 42 30 4 Previous year ..: 4 9 35 45 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Represents zero. Crop Progress and Condition Tables Expected Next Week Today's publication is the last weekly Crop Progress report issued for the 2012 season. The first weekly report for 2012 will be released on Monday, April 1, 2013. Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: Crop progress and condition estimates are based on survey data collected each week from early April through the end of November. The non-probability crop progress and condition surveys include input from approximately 4,000 respondents whose occupations provide them opportunities to make visual observations and frequently bring them in contact with farmers in their counties. Based on standard definitions, these respondents subjectively estimate the progress of crops through various stages of development, as well as the progress of producer activities. They also provide subjective evaluations of crop conditions. Most respondents complete their questionnaires on Friday or early Monday morning and submit them to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Field Offices in their States by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or through a secured internet website. A small number of reports are completed on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Regardless of when questionnaires are completed, respondents are asked to report for the entire week ending on Sunday. For reports submitted prior to the Sunday reference date, a degree of uncertainty is introduced by projections for weekend changes in progress and condition. By the end of the 2011 season, over 90 percent of the data were being submitted through the internet website. As a result, the majority of all data are submitted on Monday morning, significantly reducing projection uncertainty. Respondents are sent written reporting instructions at the beginning of each season and are contacted periodically to ensure proper reporting. Terms and definitions of crop stages and condition categories used as reporting guidelines are available on the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/National_Crop_Progress. Estimating Procedures: Reported data are reviewed for reasonableness and consistency by comparing with data reported the previous week and data reported in surrounding counties for the current week. Each State Field Office summarizes the reported data to district and State levels, weighting each county's reported data by NASS county acreage estimates. Summarized indications are compared with previous week estimates, and progress items are compared with earlier stages of development and historical averages to ensure reasonableness. Weather events and respondent comments are also taken into consideration. State estimates are submitted to the Agricultural Statistics Board (ASB) along with supporting comments, where they are compared with surrounding States and compiled into a National level summary by weighting each State by its acreage estimates. Revision Policy: Progress and condition estimates in the Crop Progress report are released after 4:00 pm ET on the first business day of the week. These estimates are subject to revision the following week. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Crops Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov Lance Honig, Chief, Crops Branch........................... (202) 720-2127 Jacqueline Moore, Head, Field Crops Section................ (202) 720-2127 Brent Chittenden - Oats, Rye, Wheat................... (202) 720-8068 Steve Maliszewski - Cotton, Cotton Ginnings, Sorghum.. (202) 720-5944 Jacqueline Moore - Peanuts, Rice...................... (202) 720-2127 Anthony Prillaman - Corn, Flaxseed, Proso Millet...... (202) 720-9526 Julie Schmidt - Crop Weather, Barley, Hay............. (202) 720-7621 Travis Thorson - Soybeans, Sunflower, Other Oilseeds.. (202) 720-7369 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov and in the "Follow NASS" box under "Receive reports by Email," click on "National" or "State" to select the reports you would like to receive. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. 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