US corn crop rating improves in latest report

The USDA said corn conditions nationally were up one point to 69 percent good to excellent this week.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said corn conditions nationally were up one point to 69 percent good to excellent this week, as improvements in Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio and South Dakota offset slippage in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Soybeans were unchanged at 63 percent good to excellent, while winter wheat slipped to 40 percent good to excellent from last week's 41 percent. Ninety-six percent of the crop is planted, leaving about 3.2 million acres left to plant. As of Sunday, 93 percent of the soybean crop had emerged from the ground, compared with the 97 percent five-year average. Also, 21 percent of the soybean crop is in the bloom stage, equal to the five-year average.

Nationwide, 12 percent of the corn was silking, behind last year's 14 percent and the average of 18 percent.

The winter wheat harvest advanced to 55 percent. Nationwide, spring wheat slipped to 70 percent good to excellent from the previous week's 72 percent.

Sorghum was 24 percent headed up from 23 percent a year ago but behind the 23 percent average. It slipped one point to 67 percent good to excellent.

Last week, the USDA said planted and intended acreage of corn is now estimated at 88.897 million acres, 302,000 less than March intentions and 395,000 less than the average trade guess.

The forecast of acreage harvested for grain is at 81.101 million acres, about 600,000 acres less than forecast in the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report and 2.035 million less than harvested last year. Planted and intended acreage of soybeans is estimated at 85.139 million acres, 504,000 larger than March intentions and 1.438 million more than planted last year.

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