A close to normal start to oat planting highlights USDA’s first crop progress and condition report for 2023 in Nebraska.

USDA says oats are eight percent seeded, compared to 12 percent last year and the five-year average of nine percent.

Winter wheat is rated 19 percent good and three percent excellent.

Drought remains a major concern for the state with topsoil moisture supplies rated 44 percent adequate to surplus and subsoil moisture just 22 percent adequate and zero percent surplus.

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