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Farmers accelerated their fieldwork again last week.

Ben Potter, Senior editor

June 6, 2022

2 Min Read
field of young soybeans
Getty/iStockphoto

The latest USDA crop progress report, out Monday afternoon and covering the week through June 5, showed another good round of planting progress for both corn and soybeans, plus offered a first look at corn quality ratings for the young 2022 season. The agency also noted a one-point improvement in winter wheat crop quality, although it still remains among the worst years on record as harvest kicks off in some states.

Corn plantings reached 94% through Sunday, up from 86% a week ago and one point faster than the average trade guess. And while plantings are still below 2021’s pace of 98%, they have finally overtaken the prior five-year average of 92%. Among the top 18 production states, Pennsylvania (79%) and North Dakota (81%) still have the furthest to go. Seventy-eight percent of the crop is now emerged, versus the prior five-year average of 81%.

USDA also handed out its first round of quality ratings for corn in today’s report, marking 73% of the crop in good-to-excellent condition. That was five points better than the average trade guess of 68%. Another 23% is rated fair, with the remaining 4% rated poor or very poor.

Soybean plantings increased from 66% a week ago to 78% through Sunday. Analysts were hoping to see a bit more progress, offering an average trade guess of 80% prior to the report. That puts 2022 progress 11 points below 2021’s pace of 89% but just one point behind the prior five-year average of 79%. And 56% of the crop is now emerged, versus the prior five-year average of 59%.

Spring wheat plantings improved to 82% through June 5, versus 73% a week earlier. That’s three points short of the average trade guess of 85%. It’s also well behind 2021’s pace of 99% and the prior five-year average of 97%.

Winter wheat quality ratings improved slightly, firming a point to reach 30% rated in good-to-excellent conditions and matching analyst expectations. Another 305 of the crop is rated fair (down a point from last week), with the remaining 40% rated poor or very poor.

Physiologically, 79% of the crop is now headed, versus 72% a week ago and behind 2021’s pace and the prior five-year average, which were both 84%. Harvest progress has also been made in six of the top 18 production states, with Texas (36%) leading the way. That puts the national average at 5%, which is one point slower than the prior five-year average of 6%.

Click here for more about today’s USDA crop progress report, including the agency’s observations on days suitable for fieldwork and topsoil moisture conditions.

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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