US crops making steady progress with corn silking and soybean blooming now at 77%

HOUSTON (ICIS)–US crops have continued to make steady progress with 77% of the corn acreage now silking with soybean blooming also at 77%, according to the latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA) weekly crop progress report.

The current rate of silking does trail the 79% level achieved in 2023 but is slightly ahead of the five-year average of 76%.

Corn having reached the dough stage is now at 30%, above both the 25% mark from last year and the five-year average of 22%.

For corn conditions, there is still 3% rated very poor with 6% now listed as poor. There remains 23% considered fair with 52% now seen as good and 16% continuing to be viewed as excellent.

For soybeans, there is 77% of the crop now blooming, which is just below the 79% from 2023 but is ahead of the five-year average of 74%.

The amount of acreage setting pods has reached 44%, which is behind the 46% from last year, but it is above the five-year average of 40%.

For soybean conditions, there remains 2% as very poor and 6% as poor. There is now 25% listed as fair with 54% as good and 13% as excellent.

In harvesting updates, winter wheat is now at 82% completed, which is ahead of the 77% mark from 2023 and the five-year average of 80%.