Corn Planting Stays Ahead Of Norm
U.S. corn planting progress stayed ahead of normal last week as clear weekend weather allowed producers to catch up after earlier delays, but soybean planting progress slipped slightly behind average.
The May 8 USDA crop update pegged U.S. corn planting progress at 70% as of Sunday, behind the year-earlier pace of 75%, but ahead of the five-year average of 64%.
In the leading corn growing states of Illinois and Iowa, corn planting progress moved to 85% done and 81% done, respectively.
Indiana progress continued to lag, with only 52% of the state’s corn reported planted, versus an average of 62%. Minnesota also slipped slightly behind.
Illinois crop emergence reached 45%, vs. the five-year average of 41%, while Iowa corn emergence was at 19%, vs. an average of 14%.
USDA put U.S. soybean planting progress at 18%, up from 10% a week earlier, but behind the year-earlier pace of 24% and the average of 19%.
Iowa soybean planting progress of 17% was on par with the five-year average, while Illinois progress was at 14%, behind an average of 22%.
Minnesota producers were only able to plant 3% of their soybean crop last week due to cool wet conditions, leaving progress 10 percentage points behind the five-year average of 16%.
Editors note: Richard Brock, The Corn and Soybean Digest's Marketing Editor, is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report.
To see more market perspectives, visit Brock's Web site at www.brockreport.com.
