Planting Progress Moves Forward, Still Behind Pace

Last week, warm weather swept much of the corn belt, allowing a much-needed boost to planting progress amidst a near-record-slow year. According to USDA, corn jumped from 22% planted by May 8 to 49% planted by May 15. However, that progress remains significantly behind the five-year average of 67%.

Much of the corn belt remains far behind the average planting pace, with North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa trailing the most. Texas and North Carolina are the only states ahead of schedule. The U.S. corn crop remains behind on emergence, with just 14% of corn emerging, compared to 32% mid-May five-year average. May 15 held a 9% emergence for soybeans, slightly behind the 12% five-year average.

Read more on planting progress and crop conditions here.