The U.S. soybean harvest accelerated last week, while corn harvest progress remained ahead of schedule as weather remained mostly favorable across the Corn Belt.
U.S. soybean harvest jumped to 29% complete as of Sunday, up from 12% a week earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 25%, according to Monday afternoon’s weekly USDA crop update.
USDA pegged U.S. corn harvest progress at 31% as of Sunday, up from 22% last week and comfortably ahead of the five-year average of 20%.
Corn harvest progress was limited because many producers switched to concentrating on harvesting soybeans.
The Illinois corn harvest continued to speed along, reaching 60% complete by Sunday, up from 46% a week earlier and more than double the five-year average pace of 29%.
Illinois soybean harvest progress was put at 43%, up from 22% a week earlier and a five-year average of 25%.
Corn harvest is not progressing nearly as quickly in the top-producing state of Iowa, but remains ahead of normal at 13% done versus a five-year average of 9%.
Statewide, the moisture content of the Iowa corn crop in the field was estimated at 22%, with harvested corn moisture content averaging 18%.
The Iowa soybean harvest reached 35% done as of Sunday, up from only 11% a week earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 30%.
Editor’s 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.