Corn conditions still at 15-year high

Angela Bowman, Drovers Cattle Network,Staff Writer
More than 75 percent of the nation’s corn crop is rated in good or better condition according to the USDA’s Crop Progress report, marking the best conditions seen in the 15 years.  As Sterling Smith, a futures specialist at Citigroup, said in a note to clients “the weather continues to be excellent for crop development.”

Corn conditions are 10 percentage points better than last year, and more than double those reported in 2012:

Both the Midwest and Plains are reporting impressive corn conditions.

In the Midwest, an average of 76 percent of the corn is in good to excellent condition, while on the Plains around 72 percent of the corn is rated in these conditions. The worst corn conditions have been reported in North Carolina, where 16 percent of corn is in poor to very poor condition, thanks in part to the excess rain dumped on the region by Hurricane Arthur.

Corn silking remains on par with the five-year average. As of July 13, 34 percent of corn in the top 18 corn-producing states have silked, compared to last year’s report of 15 percent at the five-year average of 33 percent. All states have reported at least 5 percent of corn silking.

Soybeans: 72 percent in good or excellent condition

Soybean conditions were virtually unchanged from last week, holding steady at a 20-year high. Last year, 65 percent of soybeans were in good or better condition, 7 percentage points below the current report.

The best soybean conditions were reported in Kentucky, North Dakota and Tennessee, where between 78 and 79 percent of soybeans were rated in good or excellent condition. On the flip side, the country’s worst soybean conditions were reported in Arkansas, where 16 percent of soybeans are in poor or worse condition.

Soybean blooming is above the five-year average at 41 percent, compared to 24 percent last year.