May 25, 2012

USDA sees 84% Minnesota's corn, soy on well condition

According to the USDA, 84% of Minnesota's record corn area is in good or excellent condition in the season's first official assessment.

The USDA's weekly crop report for Monday (May 21) showed that nearly all of the state's corn acres have now been planted, and the crop is growing far ahead of last year's weather-delayed pace. Some 76% of the corn crop has already emerged, the USDA said, compared with just 17% a year ago.

The mild winter and early spring also helped soy growers get an early start. The USDA said that as of Sunday, 81% of the soy acres had been planted, compared with 56% in a typical year.

Last week brought a run of dry weather, which allowed farmers to get in their fields and dried out some soggy spots. The USDA's Minnesota Field Office said 76% of the state's farmers say topsoil has adequate moisture, with 19% reporting topsoil moisture as short or very short.

Minnesota farmers expect to plant a record 8.7 million acres of corn in 2012, which at harvest could have an estimated value of nearly US$9 billion.