Cool weather in the last week wasn’t kind to farmers looking to get the 2021 corn crop planted. Last week saw planting progress slip behind the normal pace, with 17% of the crop in the ground compared to the previous average of 20% by this week. Soybean farmers weren’t as bothered by the unseasonably cool temperatures, with planting for that crop sitting at 8% complete as of Sunday compared to the 5% average for this week. But there are pockets like Louisiana where farmers have faced a much wetter-than-normal spring where soybean planting is well behind the normal pace. Dry conditions have helped farmers in the northern Plains — namely South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota — make major strides with spring wheat planting, which sat at 28% complete as of Sunday, 9% ahead of the normal pace. Farther south, the week saw another step down in Plains winter wheat conditions, with now 49% of that crop rated good to excellent in Monday’s USDA Crop Progress report. Sorghum, cotton and rice plantings remain slightly behind the normal pace, Monday’s data show. See more crop progress numbers.
Featured
-
400 Farm Groups Advocate for Protecting and Enhancing Crop Insurance in the 2023 Farm Bill BudgetMarch 16, 2023
-
President’s Proposed FY2024 Budget Confirms Crop Insurance IndispensableMarch 16, 2023
-
Grocery Food Inflation Maintains 10% HikeMarch 16, 2023
-
California Flooding Devastates Hundreds of Strawberry FarmsMarch 17, 2023
-
Access to Mexican Corn Market Critical for Success of U.S. GrowersMarch 17, 2023