Kansas wheat condition continues to decline

? Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service says it hasn’t seen a winter wheat crop this bad in the state since June 1996.

The agency reported Monday that 55 percent of the wheat is in poor to very poor condition. About 30 percent is in fair condition with only 14 percent rated as good and 1 percent excellent.

Lack of moisture is the big problem. The report says last week’s rain in parts of Kansas was too scant to reverse the slow decline of the crop.

About 64 percent of the wheat has now headed.

Meanwhile, spring planting is well under way. About 84 percent of the corn and 30 percent of the planned soybean crop have been seeded, as have 9 percent of the sorghum and 10 percent of the cotton crop.