Market News & Headlines >> U.S. Planting Progress Still Ahead of Normal

U.S. corn and soybean planting stayed ahead of normal last week on a nationwide basis, despite further delays due to wet weather in the eastern Corn Belt. 

USDA pegged U.S. corn planting progress at 75% as of Sunday, up from 66% a week earlier and the five-year average of 70%, but behind last year’s 82%. Soybean planting progress was pegged at 36%, up from 23% a week earlier and the average pace of 32%, but behind last year’s pace of 41%. 

Nationwide corn emergence was reported by USDA at 43% as of Sunday, up from 27% a week earlier and the five-year average of 34%, but behind the year-earlier pace of 48%. U.S. soybean crop emergence was pegged at 10%, ahead of the average pace of 9%, but behind the year-earlier level of 11%. 

Planting delays have been concentrated in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, which are all about a week behind normal on corn and soybean planting.  Indiana producers were only able to plant 7% of their corn crop last week, while Ohio producers got just 4% planted. Indiana corn planting was 45% complete as of Sunday, versus a five-year average of 61%, while only 34% of Ohio’s crop was planted, versus an average pace of 54% and 34% of Michigan’s crop was planted against an average of 51%. 

Indiana’s soybean crop was 15% planted as of Sunday, versus a five-year average of 31%, while Ohio’s crop was only 10% planted versus an average of 28% and the Michigan crop was 14% planted versus an average of 28%. Nebraska soybean planting progress was also lagging normal by double digits at 29% complete versus an average of 43%. 

Corn planting is fast winding down in the top producing states of Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. Some 88% of the Iowa crop had been planted as of Sunday, ahead of the five-year average of 78%, while 83% of the Illinois crop had been planted versus an  average of 76% and 93% of Minnesota’s corn had been planted, well ahead of the average of 64%. 

Soybean planting was lagging normal slightly in Illinois at 29% done versus the five-year average of 31%, while 43% of Iowa’s soybean crop had been planted versus an average of 37% and 63% of Minnesota’s crop was in the ground, nearly doubling the average pace of 32%.