Here’s the latest planting update excerpted from the June 2 USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Se
rvice (for week ending May 31):
Corn: Producers planted 93 percent of the corn crop by week’s end, only one point behind last year’s pace, and 4 points behind the average. Planting was complete in Nebraska and North Carolina. Some favorable fieldwork days in Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, and Ohio allowed planting to advance by 20 or more percentage points. In these States, except Ohio, planting lagged between 13 and 17 points behind the average due to saturated soil earlier in the season. Emergence, at 73 percent, was 13 points behind average, nationally. Although corn emergence advanced more than 29 points last week in much of the Corn Belt, development lagged significantly behind the 5-year average. The corn crop was rated 70 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans: Sixty-six percent of the acreage was seeded by May 31, slightly behind last year and 13 points behind the 5-year average. Producers in Ohio were able to plant 40 percent of their acreage during the week. Emergence, at 36 percent complete, progressed 19 points during the week, 6 points ahead of last year’s development pace, but 15 points behind the average. Following a surge in planting progress the previous week, development in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska reached 59, 57, and 73 percent emerged, respectively. Illinois corn development lagged behind the average by 54 points, following a delay in planting.