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Corn slowly improves ahead of first USDA ratings.

Bryce Knorr, Contributing market analyst

May 31, 2016

2 Min Read

Weather continues to pose problems for growers as summer gets underway. But farmers reporting conditions last week noted at least some improvement in corn. Overall, they graded their fields a little above average, after saying corn looked below average the previous week, according to comments made to Feedback From The Field.

USDA hands out its first assessment of corn this week with release of its Crop Progress report at 3 p.m. CDT. Farm Futures projection based on the vegetative health index for last week put the crop at 65% good to excellent, a little below average historically.

Farmers were racing to plant corn, in some cases after the deadline for full crop insurance coverage passed.

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“Some corn is not planted,” an eastern Kansas grower reported late last week. “It has been severely wet.”

In Missouri warmer weather helped some fields, with one producer on Friday saying corn was in excellent shape.  Soybeans were another matter, however: “Few beans planted. Will be at least a week before we can start.”

USDA won’t release its first assessment of soybeans until next week, if at least 50% of fields in in major states have emerged. Farmers rating their crop said beans were looking better, though still just average.

“Our planting conditions for corn were great for all practices and most of soybeans ,” said a farmer in Illinois west of Springfield.

Winter wheat was reported in mostly above average condition, though spring wheat ratings eased. Some hard red winter wheat fields in the southeast Plains are being flooded, while spring wheat fields face a dry start to June. The latest vegetative health index for spring wheat fell a little, while winter wheat improved.

Click this link to give us your own Feedback.

Feedback from the Field - May 25, 2016 - Goldilocks spring hard to find in Corn Belt

Feedback from the Field - May 23, 2016 - Corn Belt dries out a little as mid-May deadline arrives

Feedback from the Field - May 18, 2016 - Growers worry about frost damage from weekend's chill

Feedback from the Field - May 14, 2016 - Growers hope to get back into the field

Feedback from the Field - May 13, 2016 - Planting delays grab market's attention

Feedback from the Field - May 11, 2016 - It's deju vu all over again as wet weather continues

Feedback from the Field - May 9, 2016 - Weather challenges farmers in eastern Midwest

Feedback from the Field - May 3, 2016 - Growers say wet weather stalls planting

Feedback from the Field - May 2, 2016 - Some crops off to slow start as wet and cold hamper planting

About the Author(s)

Bryce Knorr

Contributing market analyst, Farm Futures

Bryce Knorr first joined Farm Futures Magazine in 1987. In addition to analyzing and writing about the commodity markets, he is a former futures introducing broker and Commodity Trading Advisor. A journalist with more than 45 years of experience, he received the Master Writers Award from the American Agricultural Editors Association.

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