US corn harvest progress this past week didn’t quite measure up to trade expectations, but soybeans exceeded them.
Monday’s USDA crop progress report pegged the national corn harvest at 20% complete as of Sunday, up 8 points on the week but slightly behind the five-year average and the average pre-report trade guess of 22%. Meanwhile, at 22% complete, the soybean harvest was up from 8% the previous week and 2 points ahead of expectations – although still 3 points behind average.
In the No. 1 production state of Iowa, the corn harvest advanced 6 points on the week to 11% complete, behind 18% last year and 12% on average. The Illinois harvest gained 7 points on the week to 13% complete, well behind 29% on average, while the Indiana harvest was up 10 points to 16% done, versus 24% last year and 20% on average.
The Michigan corn harvest was 10% done as of Sunday, up 7 points on the week and near the state average of 9%. Ohio was 7% complete, 3 points behind average. The North Dakota corn harvest is just underway at 3% done, versus 17% last year and 7% on average.
An estimated 75% of the US corn crop had reached maturity as of Sunday, up from 58% a week earlier, and on par with average but behind 86% last year. That portion of the crop in the dent stage reached 96% as of Sunday, up 4 points on the week and a single point behind the average.
The US corn crop was rated 52% good to excellent as of Sunday, unchanged from a week earlier and 7 points below a year earlier.
As for soybeans, the harvest in Illinois advanced 8 points from a week earlier to 10% complete as of Sunday, lagging 29% last year and 26% on average. The Indiana harvest was up 12 points on the week to 17% done, still behind 23% on average, while 26% of the Iowa crop was in the bin, an increase of 19 points on the week and 2 points ahead of average.
At 14% complete, the Michigan soybean harvest was up from 8% a week earlier but 4 points behind average. Ohio was 6 points behind the state average at 13% complete, up from 3% the previous week. The North Dakota soy harvest jumped 21 points on the week to 26% finished, still behind 45% last year and 31% on average.
Across the country, 81% of the soybean crop was dropping leaves as of Sunday, up from 63% a week earlier and 2 points ahead of average.
The US soybean crop was rated 55% good to excellent as of Sunday, steady from a week earlier and 3 points below last year.
