Status of the 2024 Corn and Soybean Crops
The USDA Crop Progress Report released on April 29th documented planting for the 2024 soybean and corn season. Farmers are in fields with relatively dry conditions in half of the eight major states producing corn and soybeans allowing rapid seeding of prepared acreage. The “big-eight” (IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, NE and OH) collectively averaged 4.0 (last week 3.5) days suitable for field work this past week ranging from 3.1 days (OH) to 5.2 days (KS)
Based on the sum of the “adequate” and “surplus” categories, surface and subsoil moisture levels were higher than the corresponding week in 2023. For the past week surface and subsoil moisture values were 75 and 71 percent for the two highest categories of ‘Adequate’ and ‘Surplus’. These levels were higher than the previous year with values of 72 and 62 percent respectively for the two highest categories, demonstrating an acceptable pre-planting situation.
It is to early in the expected transition to a La Nina event to predict any impact on crop condition in coming months. If prolonged dry and hot weather in corn and soy areas occurs, yield will be depressed depending on timing and severity. A long-range forecast in the form of two charts is provided predicting rainfall and temperature during the growing season.
Reference is made to the April 11th WASDE Report #647 under the STATISTICS TAB and the weekly Commodity, Economy and Energy Report in this edition, documenting acreage to be harvested, yields, weekly prices and ending stocks.
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WEEK ENDING |
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Corn Status (18 states)
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March 31st 2024
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April 7th 2024
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5-Year Average
|
Corn Planted (%)
|
12
|
27
|
22
|
Corn Emerged (%)
|
3 |
7 |
4 |
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Soybean Status (18 states) |
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|
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Soybean planted (%)
|
8
|
18
|
10
|
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Crop Condition
(pending USDA reports)
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V. Poor |
Poor
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Fair
|
Good |
Excellent |
Corn 2024 (%)
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Corn 2023 (%) |
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Soybeans 2024 (%)
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Soybeans 2023 (%) |
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Parameter 48 States
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V. Short |
Short
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Adequate
|
Surplus |
Topsoil Moisture: |
|
|
|
|
Past Week
|
6
|
19
|
62
|
13
|
Past Year |
10 |
18 |
60 |
12 |
Subsoil Moisture: |
|
|
|
|
Past Week
|
7
|
22
|
61
|
10
|
Past Year |
13 |
20 |
57 |
10 |
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EGG-NEWS will report on the progress of the two major crops as monitored by the USDA through to the end of the 2024 harvest in November.