October 15, 2003

USDA Soybean, Corn Harvest Releases

USDA's latest figures, released a day late due to the Columbus Day holiday Monday, revealed that soybean growers are picking up the pace of harvest. 60% of the nation's soybean crop is now in the bin. This puts harvest two points ahead of the five-year average pace. 95% of the crop is dropping leaves. Condition ratings held steady.

Corn harvest is lagging the usual pace by 5% points. Now 39% of the crop is harvested, compared with 36% at this date last year and 44% for the five-year average. Condition ratings improved by a point.

Winter wheat planting is well ahead of the normal pace with 74% of the crop seeded, 8 points ahead of the five-year average pace. Farmers in top-producing Kansas have 78% of their state's crop in the ground, 5 points ahead of average. Despite some dryness issues in parts of the state last week, there's a reported 50% emergence in Kansas which is ahead of usual progress and ahead of emergence nationally (48%). Normally, 42% of the crop has emerged by this date.