USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report 7.15.24

July 15, 2024

Despite scattered reports of crop damage from hail, high winds and flooding in some states across the Corn Belt, national condition ratings for both corn and soybeans held steady last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

Development of both crops also continued ahead of five-year average paces, NASS said.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: Harvest moved ahead 8 percentage points to reach 71% complete nationwide as of Sunday. That was 18 points ahead of last year's 53% and 9 points ahead of the five-year average pace of 52%. "Kansas' winter wheat is 97% harvested, Illinois is at 96% and Arkansas 100% harvested," noted DTN Senior Analyst Dana Mantini. "Harvest in Montana has not yet started, with Idaho and Washington from 3% to 5% done."

SPRING WHEAT

-- Crop development: 76% of spring wheat was headed, 6 percentage points behind last year's 82% and 2 points behind the five-year average of 78%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 77% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, up 2 percentage points from 75% the previous week. That remains well ahead of last year's rating of 51% good to excellent. "Minnesota and North Dakota still have the two highest good-to-excellent spring wheat ratings at 81% and 82% good to excellent, respectively, while the crop in Washington has the lowest rating, at 48%," Mantini said.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn silking was pegged at 41%, 1 percentage point ahead of last year's 40% and 9 points ahead of the five-year average of 32%. Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 8%, 2 points ahead of last year's 6% and 4 points ahead of the five-year average of 4%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 68% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week and still well ahead of last year's 57%. Nine percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week and below 13% last year. "The good-to-excellent rating for corn jumped 8 percentage points in Illinois to 73%, while dropping 4 percentage points in Minnesota to 58%," noted DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans blooming was pegged at 51%, equal to last year's pace but 7 points ahead of the five-year average of 44%. Soybeans setting pods were estimated at 18%, slightly ahead of last year's 17% and 6 points ahead of the five-year average of 12%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 68% of soybeans were in good-to-excellent condition, also unchanged from the previous week and above last year's rating of 55% good to excellent. "Higher soybean ratings in Illinois and Kansas were offset by lower ratings in Tennessee, South Dakota, Mississippi and Minnesota," Hultman said.

Source: DTN