USDA Crop Progress Report: Corn and Soybean Harvest Slows to Average Pace

Corn being harvested in a field The latest USDA Crop Progress Report, issued this week, showed corn and soybean harvests slowing after running ahead of the five-year average pace in recent reports. Winter wheat planting and emergence remain behind the normal pace, while additional rain in the forecast could further slow fall fieldwork.

Corn

Condition holding at 57% good-to-excellent, unchanged from the prior week but 9 points below last year’s 66%.
Dented at 96%, 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 95% and 2 points ahead of last year’s 94%.
Mature at 72%, 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 71% and 3 points ahead of last year’s 69%.
Harvest at 18% complete nationally, equal to the five-year average and 1 point ahead of last year’s 17%.
Nebraska is 11% harvested, 4% behind the five-year average pace. Iowa is 5% harvested, 5% behind the pace.

Soybeans

Condition steady at 58% good-to-excellent, unchanged from the prior week but 4 points below last year’s 62%.
Dropping leaves at 75%, equal to the five-year average and 1 point behind last year’s 76%.
Harvest at 17% complete, equal to the five-year average and 1 point behind last year’s 18%.
Illinois is 21% harvested, 7% ahead of the five-year average and 2% ahead of last year. Iowa is only 3% harvested, lagging far behind the five-year average (17%) and last year (15%).

Winter Wheat

Planting is 27% complete, 7 points behind the five-year average of 34% and 5 points behind last year’s 32%.
Emergence at 8%, 3 points behind the five-year average of 11% and 4 points behind last year’s 12%.

DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick accurately predicted a third straight wet week across the central U.S. from the remnants of Hurricane Polo. Relief is on the way, though, with a quieter pattern expected through early October.