US soy harvest 47% complete, corn 30% done, USDA data shows
The U.S. soybean harvest was 47% complete by Sunday and the corn harvest was 30% finished, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed on Monday, with both crops ahead of average, while soybean condition ratings declined.
The USDA rated 63% of the U.S. soybean crop as good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from last week, while corn ratings were unchanged at 64% good-to-excellent, both in line with the average estimates in a Reuters poll of 12 analysts.
The condition ratings are still the highest for this time of year for soybeans since 2020 and for corn since 2018, underscoring expectations for large harvests. The USDA last month projected record-high U.S. yields for corn and soybeans, and the government is scheduled to release updated estimates on Friday.
The United States is the world’s largest exporter of corn and the No. 2 soybean supplier after Brazil.
Dry conditions across the Midwest have helped speed field work. At 47% complete, the U.S. soybean harvest is well ahead of the five-year average of 34%, while the corn harvest, at 30% complete, is ahead of its five-year average of 27%.
“After the driest September on record, the warm and dry weather is expected to continue through mid-October,” said Mike Naig, the state agriculture secretary for Iowa, the nation’s largest corn producer. “While this is helpful for harvest, drought conditions are likely to expand throughout the state,” Naig said in a statement.
Farmers continue to seed the U.S. winter wheat crop that will be harvested in 2025. The USDA reported winter wheat plantings as 51% complete, behind the average analyst estimate of 54% and the five-year average of 52%.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Julie Ingwersen; editing by David Evans and Aurora Ellis)