Overall, the nation is meeting the national four year average for corn planting.

According to the USDA Crop progress report, 84% of the corn grown in the 18 states that planted 92% of the 2016 corn acreage, has been planted. The national average for the years 2012-2016 is 85%.

Corn planting

Iowa and Minnesota pulled ahead due to better weather last week. In Minnesota, farmers now have 94% of their corn in the ground compared to the average of 86%.  Meanwhile, in Iowa, producers were able to get 92% completed compared to the average of 90%.

Many Midwest states saw double-digit percentage increases in corn planting last week: Colorado up 16% to 69%,  Illinois up 14% to 89% planting completed, Indiana up 20% to 76%, Wisconsin up 17% to 65% finished, Michigan up 37% to 67%, Nebraska up 9% to 87% done and South Dakota up 11% to 88% done.

Corn emergence

Corn is finally starting to emerge from the soil. According to the crop progress report, 54% of the corn planted has emerged compared to the 55% national average.

Minnesota sticks out of the pack with 59% of the corn planted having emerged. That’s 6% ahead of the four-year average for the state. Missouri farmers are also reporting their corn is ahead. The report states 79% has emerged compared to the average of 74%.

Other states reporting they are ahead included North Dakota with 38% (31% average), South Dakota with 47% (43% average), and Tennessee with 83% (81%).

Illinois producers reported being slightly behind with only 67% emerged compared to  the average of 69%.  Iowa farmers are also behind with only 45% emerged compared to 52% average.

Soybeans planted

Farmers say over half of the soybeans have been planted this spring. The crop progress report states that the 18 states that planted 95% of the 2016 soybean acreage have 53% of the crop planted. That’s slightly above the national average of 52%.

Iowa and Minnesota led the pack in soybean planting. In Minnesota, producers have 72% of the crop in the ground. That’s 10% higher than the average of 62%. Meanwhile in Iowa, farmers have 62% completed compared to the state average of 60%.

In Illinois, farmers are slightly behind. According to the report, they have 48% completed compared to the average of 52% and Indiana is also behind by three points.

Other states such as Wisconsin are noticeably behind with only 29% completed compared to the average of 43%. Nebraska is behind with only 52% (61% average) finished and Ohio with 43% complete (47% average).

Soybeans emerged

The crop progress report shows soybean emergence is slightly behind. Producers reported 19% of their crops have emerged compared to the national average of 21%.

Although Minnesota and Iowa have made big gains in planting in the past week, it doesn’t apply to soybeans emerging. In Minnesota, 16% of the soybean crop planted has emerged compared to the four year average of 20% and in Iowa, 15% has emerged compared to the 17% average.

Other states such as Wisconsin are also behind. Producers say three percent of their crop has emerged compared to the average of 10%. In Illinois, only 18% has emerged compared to the average of 23% and in Indiana only 16% has emerged compared to 24% average.