What’s Going On With the 2025 Spring Wheat Harvest?

Spring wheat harvest is officially underway in all six spring wheat-growing states, according to the USDA’s first Crop Progress report of August.

Across the six states, 5% of the crop has been harvested, behind the five-year average of 9%. 

But as more of the wheat gets cut, the overall condition of the crop continues to decline. Based on the latest report, only 48% of the U.S. crop was rated good/excellent, a four-week low.

Here’s a state-by-state look at spring wheat harvest progress and conditions.

Washington

Farmers in Washington state lead the nation for harvest progress — 24% of their 2025 spring wheat crop is out of the field. That’s up from just 11% the week prior, thanks to 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork the week ending Aug. 3.

Last year at this time, 19% of the state’s crop had been harvested, the same as the five-year average. 

As for the condition of the crop, the USDA rated 48% of Washington’s spring wheat poor or very poor. Just 16% of the crop was rated good/excellent, while 36% was rated fair.

South Dakota 

Although it typically leads spring wheat harvest, the state ranked second with 23% of the crop harvested. That’s notably behind the five-year average of 40%, and the 35% progress a year ago at this time.

Weather hasn’t been as favorable for South Dakota growers, who had only 4.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Aug. 3. 

Jared Goplen, a Wyffels agronomist whose territory includes eastern South Dakota, as well as northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota, described volatile weather in his part of the country. “We had another tornadic storm the evening of July 28 that brought with it some straight-line winds and precipitation,” he said.

Although the weather impacted fieldwork-suitable days, crops weren’t damaged as much as they could have been. “In general, the amount of crop damage has been much less than anticipated, considering winds in the 90-mph-plus range,” Goplen said.

The USDA rated just 51% of South Dakota’s spring wheat good/excellent. Most of the rest (44%) was rated fair, and 5% was rated poor/very poor.

Idaho

Idaho’s spring wheat harvest reached 9% the week ending Aug. 3, the USDA said, up from 4% the week prior. Harvest is just ahead of the five-year average of 8% and notably ahead of last year at this time, when only 2% of the crop had been harvested.

Idaho farmers had 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Aug. 3.

The spring wheat crop in Idaho was rated 42% good/excellent, 39% fair, and 19% poor/very poor.

Minnesota

Spring wheat harvest in Minnesota reached 5% to begin August, up from none the week before. That’s ahead of last year at this time by 2 percentage points, but it’s a good deal behind the five-year average of 13%.

Field conditions haven’t been too favorable in recent weeks, which likely accounts for the delay. Minnesota farmers saw 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork the week ending Aug. 3, and even fewer the week prior — 4.3. Tim Dahl, a Syngenta agronomist in Minnesota, said southern Minnesota had some strong winds early in the week.

The harvest may be a bit behind schedule, but Minnesota’s spring wheat conditions lead the nation by far. USDA rated 85% of the crop good/excellent and none very poor. 

Montana

Reaching 4% by Aug. 3, spring wheat harvest in Montana is 7 points behind the five-year average harvest pace. That’s largely on track with last year at this time, when harvest had reached 5%. 

Growers in the state had five days suitable for fieldwork.

Montana’s spring wheat is in the worst shape of all six states. The USDA rated only 5% of the crop good/excellent, 48% was rated fair, and the rest was rated poor/very poor. 

North Dakota 

Finally, just 1% of North Dakota’s spring wheat crop had been harvested as of Aug. 3, the first reported for the state this year. That’s equal to last year at this time and behind the five-year average of 3%.

North Dakota farmers had 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork. 

The crop is in relatively decent shape. The USDA rated 64% of North Dakota’s spring wheat good/excellent, 32% fair, and 4% poor/very poor.