Pro Farmer Crop Tour 2026
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour provides insights into potential corn and soybean production and gathers scout reporting from 2,000+ fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota.
Watch Nightly Results
August 17-20, 2026: Tune in here to watch nightly results and analysis starting at 7:55 PM Central.
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour Route
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour 2026 takes place August 17-20, 2026. It simultaneously follows an Eastern and a Western route, with both scouting routes culminating in Rochester, Minnesota. Nightly meetings in each location review daily results, scouting observations and historical comparison data. Attend nightly meetings in person or watch the nightly broadcast online at AgWeb.com/croptour.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour News
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says live and feeder cattle futures gapped lower on the opening after a human case of New World screwworm (NWS) was announced over the weekend.
Pro Farmer economist Lane Akre says corn and soybeans posted higher weekly closes and should be able to build on that next week with the push from the lower yield and production estimates from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour.
On the heels of Crop Tour, Pro Farmer projects corn yields at 6.1 bu. below USDA’s August estimate, while soybean yield numbers are nearly aligned.
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.
The Minnesota corn crop may break records while Iowa crops face disease challenges.
Crop Conditions News
Corn prices fell more than 30 cents on Friday, a change from the rapid run-up in prices the past two weeks, but even with chances of rain across the northern Corn Belt, drought continues to eat away at crop conditions.
Drought is deepening across the Midwest with 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. now covered in drought, a sizable jump in just a week after NASS showed a historic drop in condition ratings.
Farmers in Iowa are trying to stay optimistic but say the next two weeks are critical for getting some rain or they’ll be seeing significant yield loss.
Illinois crop ratings have dropped like a rock with only 33% of soybeans and 36% of corn rated good to excellent in this week’s USDA crop progress report.
The updated drought monitor indicates dryness will continue to expand across eastern Missouri, eastern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Pro Farmer Analysis
Data from the state weather forecasting agency last week indicated that over 37% of winter crops are in poor condition or have not sprouted due to low moisture levels.
The expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline could play a pivotal role in mitigating the potential impacts of tariffs threatened by President-elect Donald Trump on imports from Canada and Mexico.
This delay in the 45Z program details is causing significant concern among producers and politicians alike.
International grain trading firms operating in Brazil will vote next week on changes that could weaken an agreement to not buy soybeans from deforested areas of the Amazon rainforest.
Boozman emphasized the need for Congress to act swiftly, providing farmers with the predictability needed to secure financial stability.