Market News & Headlines >> Corn Planting Advances at Good Rate

U.S. corn producers made solid progress planting their 2016 crops last week despite increased rainfall and cool weather across much of the Corn Belt.

USDA in Monday afternoon’s weekly crop progress update pegged nationwide corn planting progress at 45% as of Sunday, up from 30% a week earlier. Progress was on par with a year earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 30% for the date. Corn emergence also remained ahead of normal at 13%, up from 8% last year and the average of just 5%. 

U.S. soybean planting started to accelerate last week, reaching 8% complete as of Sunday, up from 3% a week earlier and the average pace of 6%, but lagging last year’s 10% complete. USDA will start reporting soybean emergence in next Monday’s crop update. 

In the top corn state of Iowa, 57% of the crop was planted as of Sunday versus the five-year average of 28%, while 7% was emerged versus the average of 3%. In No. 2 Illinois, 66% of the crop was planted versus the average of 38% and 25% was emerged versus an average of 12%.Minnesota producers had 59% of their crop planted, well ahead of the average of 27%, but behind last year's 70%. Nebraska progress slipped behind slightly at 26% versus the average. pace of 31%. 

Producers in the eastern Corn Belt did some catching up. Indiana was 30% planted up from 11% a week earlier and ahead of its 5-yr. avg. of 22%. Ohio was 27% planted, up from 8% last week and the avg. pace of 17%. 

Most soybean planting activity remained confined to the Delta and mid-South last week, with major producing states in the Midwest all less than 10% planted as of Sunday, except for Missouri, where planting reached 11% ahead of the average pace of 3%. In the Delta, planting continued to progress ahead of schedule in Arkansas  where 32% of the crop had been planted and in Mississippi, where 46% was in the ground, but was still lagging Louisiana at 29% versus the average of 47%.