US corn hits mark in crop progress, wheat condition falls behind previous

The USDA’s crop progress report was bang in line with market expectations as the US corn crop attained 90% completion across 18 key states in the week ending November 19, data released Monday shows, although wheat quality is behind last year's.

That compares with a five-year average of 95% complete at this stage of the harvest – just five percentage points behind the historical trend.

That is up from 83% last week, versus an expected progress of 91%, as farmers have worked hard to close the gap ahead of the full onset of winter.

Soybeans remain right on their expected progress rate, with the harvest 96% complete versus the 2012-2016 average of 97%, while the status of wheat emerging is also right on target – 88% emerged is at par with the five-year average.

Wheat condition, however, has deviated slightly from trend and is showing some signs of flagging last year’s condition.

According to the data, the proportion of wheat rated as good or excellent stands at 44% and 8% respectively, versus 47% and 11% the preceding year, although the crop is at an early stage and the proportion rated as fair stands at 37% versus last year’s 32%.

Poor and very poor rated wheat stands broadly unchanged on last year’s figures at 8% and 3% respectively.