Farmers made significant headway in planting progress last week. USDA shows nearly half of the country’s corn crop is planted, and 35% of the soybean crop is now in the ground. A record planting pace continues to be the story for soybeans in eight states, with Illinois 38 points ahead of average.
USDA’s weekly Crop Progress report shows 49% of the U.S. corn crop is planted, a 23-point jump in just one week. It’s also 7 points ahead of average. What could be the most surprising is how quickly the corn crop is going in the ground in some states, including Missouri.
Lance Honig, chief of the crops branch at USDA-NASS, says Missouri’s 92% planting progress on corn is quicker than the state saw during 2012. That year, dry weather aided a rapid planting pace, which is the case this year. Dryness continues to creep across the state, with some farmers even reporting they’re waiting on rain to continue planting.
Other states are seeing impressive planting progress this year, just not as quick as in 2012. For example, Illinois is 73% planted, according to Monday’s report. In 2012, farmers were 90% planted at this time of the year. Tennessee is 79% planted on corn, compared with 98% in 2012.
Records are being crushed when it comes to the soybean planting pace in eight states. Nationally, 35% of the soybean crop is in the ground versus the five-year average of 21%. In 2022, only 11% of the crop was planted.
Eight states continue to plant soybeans at a record pace, with Illinois farmers seeing a 27-point jump in only a week.
The states setting records for soybean planting this year include:
- Arkansas: 58% vs. 34% average
- Illinois: 66% vs. 28% average
- Kansas: 29% vs. 14% average
- Kentucky: 38% vs. 19% average
- Missouri: 50% vs. 12% average
- Tennessee: 38% vs. 16% average
- Virginia: 32% vs. 14% average
- West Virginia: 30% vs. 14% average
While the entire country isn’t at a record planting pace for soybeans, Honig says the national pace only trails 2021 by a couple of percentage points.
That’s partially due to the slow start to planting in the upper Midwest and northern Plains. North Dakota farmers still haven’t started planting soybeans. Wisconsin trails average by 3 points, now with 11% of the crop planted.
