US corn and soybean planting continued at a brisk pace this past week, with corn now well past the halfway mark and soybeans approaching that benchmark.
Monday’s weekly USDA crop progress report showed nationwide corn planting at 62% complete as of Sunday, up a major 22 points from a week earlier and 4 points ahead of the average pre-report trade guess. Corn planting is also running well ahead of 47% last year and 56% for the five-year average.
Soybean planting gained 18 points on the week to reach 48% done as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of the average trade guess and ahead of 34% last year and 37% on average.
In the top production state of Iowa, corn planting jumped 27 points from the previous week to 76% complete as of Sunday, 20 points ahead of last year and 7 points ahead of average. Illinois planting reached 54% complete, up from 32% a week earlier but still behind 60% on average, while Indiana reached 45% done, up from 26% the previous week and 3 points ahead of the state average.
Michigan corn planting advanced 19 points to 42% complete, versus 25% last year and 31% on average. However, things were much slower in Ohio, where planting gained just 3 points on the week to 25% complete as of Sunday, behind 35% last year and 27% on average.
North Dakota corn planting surged 24 points to 41% done as of Sunday, far ahead of only 20% last year and 16% on average.
As for soybean planting, Illinois reached 51% complete as of Sunday, up from 33% a week earlier and 3 points ahead of average, while Iowa planting advanced 26 points to 64% done, compared 38% last year and 52% on average. The Indiana crop was 41% planted, up from 25% the previous week and ahead of 34% on average.
The Michigan and Ohio soybean crops were 29% and 25% planted as of Sunday, versus 20% and 23% a week earlier and 30% and 22% on average.
North Dakota soybean planting gained 16 points on the week to 26% done, well ahead of 6% last year and 8% on average.
The US corn crop was 28% emerged as of Sunday, up from 11% a week earlier, and ahead of 21% for both last year and the average.
The national soybean crop was 17% emerged, a gain of 10 points on the week, and 6 points ahead of average.
