(Washington D.C) The nation’s corn and soybean harvest is ahead of average, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.
Wet weather is expected to return later this week to parts of the Cornbelt causing further delays in harvest progress.
Corn development continued to run ahead of both last year and the five-year average.
NASS estimated that 92% of the nation’s corn crop had reached the dented stage as of Sunday, up from 90% a year ago and ahead of the five-year average of 91%. Corn maturity also remained ahead of normal, with 58% of the crop mature compared with 54% last year and a five-year average of 55%.
Harvest progress was also ahead of schedule. An estimated 13% of the U.S. corn crop had been harvested, compared with 10% at the same point last year and a five-year average of 11%.
Crop conditions were unchanged from the previous week, with 57% of the corn crop rated good to excellent. That was down from 66% a year ago. Seventeen percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week and up from 10% last year.
Soybean development and harvest also remained ahead of the average pace.
NASS estimated that 62% of soybeans had dropped leaves, 4 percentage points ahead of both last year and the five-year average of 58%.
Soybean harvest stood at 12% complete as of Sunday, compared with 8% at the same point last year and the five-year average.
Soybean crop conditions were unchanged from the previous week, with 58% of the crop rated good to excellent. That compared with 61% a year ago.
