Corn crop condition slipping in Midwest
Jun 17, 2008 10:37 AM
In what may be only the tip of the iceberg, crop condition ratings for the U.S. corn crop continue to slide incrementally.
For the week ending June 15, USDA lists 57 percent of the U.S. corn crop in good to excellent condition, compared to 60 percent last week and 70 percent this time last year. Twelve percent of the crop is listed in the poor or very poor categories, compared to 9 percent last week.
The three Midwest states of Iowa (which experienced widespread flooding last week), Illinois and Indiana, report that 15 percent, 17 percent and 18 percent of their corn crops, respectively, are in poor or very poor condition.
Eighty-four percent of the nation’s soybean crop is now planted, compared to 95 percent last year and a five-year average off 94 percent.
In Mid-South, soybean planting is 78 percent complete in Arkansas, 95 percent complete in Louisiana, 99 percent complete in Mississippi and 72 percent complete in Tennessee.
Ninety-seven percent of the U.S. cotton crop has been planted, compared to 95 percent last year, and a five-year average of 96 percent. Planting is complete in every Mid-South state.
Fifty-eight percent of the Arkansas wheat crop had been harvested by the week ending June 15, compared to the five-year average of 65 percent.
