Market News & Headlines >> Corn Harvest Lagging Normal

The 2014 U.S. corn harvest is off to a slow start with cool, wet weather during the first half of September slowing limiting progress in the mid-South and the Delta regions.

USDA issued its first update on nationwide corn harvest progress for 2014 on Monday afternoon, pegging harvest at 4% complete, on par with a year earlier and behind the five-year average of 9%.

No harvest progress was reported in the top growing state of Iowa, compared with last year’s progress of 1% and the five-year average pace of 5% complete. In Illinois, harvest was 2% complete, up from 1% last year, but behind the average pace of 13%.

Corn harvest lagged farthest behind in Tennessee, where just 20% of the crop had been harvested by Sunday versus a five-year average of 45%.

USDA estimated that 27% of the U.S. corn crop was mature as of Sunday, up from 15% a week earlier and 20% a year earlier, but behind the five-year average of 39%.