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Soybean conditions mostly stable versus the prior week’s ratings.

Ben Potter, Senior editor

July 6, 2020

2 Min Read
lamyai/ThinkstockPhotos

Analysts were expecting USDA to dock corn quality a point for the week ending July 5, but the agency made even bigger cuts in its latest weekly crop progress report, out Monday afternoon. There was a small shift in soybean quality as well, but ratings held mostly steady compared to the prior week.

Corn quality ratings moved from 73% in good-to-excellent condition down to 71% after corn rated “excellent” gained a point while corn rated “good” lost three points, accounting for the net loss of two points. Another 23% of the crop is rated fair (up one point from last week), with the remaining 6% rated poor or very poor (also up one point from a week ago).

Physiologically, 10% of this year’s crop has reached the silking stage up from 4% a week ago. That’s ahead of 2019’s pace of 7% but behind the prior five-year average of 16%.

Soybean crop quality held mostly steady last week, with 71% of the crop in good-to-excellent condition, although the split moved from 58/13 to 57/14. Analysts thought USDA would lower quality ratings a point, in contrast. Another 24% of the crop is rated fair, with the remaining 5% rated poor or very poor – unchanged from a week ago.

Physiologically, 31% of the crop is now blooming, up from 14% last week. This year’s pace well ahead of 2019’s mark of 8% and moderately ahead of the prior five-year average of 24%. And 2% of the crop is setting pods, versus 1% the same time last year and the prior five-year average of 4%.

Related:USDA crop progress: Corn quality takes an unexpected step lower

Winter wheat quality ratings dropped a point this past week, moving from 52% in good-to-excellent condition down to 51%. Another 32% of the crop is rated fair (unchanged from last week), with the remaining 17% rated poor or very poor (up a point from last week).

Harvest gained some momentum, moving from 41% completion a week ago up to 56% through July 5, which was consistent with trade expectations. This year’s pace is moderately ahead of 2019’s 42% and right in line with the prior five-year average of 55%.

Spring wheat quality ratings moved a point higher, with 70% of the crop now rated in good-to-excellent condition. Another 24% of the crop is rated fair (down a point from last week), with the remaining 6% rated poor or very poor (unchanged from last week).

And 63% of this year’s spring wheat crop is now headed, jumping up from 36% a week ago. That’s still well above 2019’s pace of 47% but behind the prior five-year average of 68%.

Click here to read the latest USDA crop progress report in its entirety for additional data on sorghum, cotton, rice, barley, pasture conditions and more.

Related:USDA crop progress: Corn quality shifts again

About the Author(s)

Ben Potter

Senior editor, Farm Futures

Senior Editor Ben Potter brings two decades of professional agricultural communications and journalism experience to Farm Futures. He began working in the industry in the highly specific world of southern row crop production. Since that time, he has expanded his knowledge to cover a broad range of topics relevant to agriculture, including agronomy, machinery, technology, business, marketing, politics and weather. He has won several writing awards from the American Agricultural Editors Association, most recently on two features about drones and farmers who operate distilleries as a side business. Ben is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

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