US corn and soybean harvest over; optimism weather stays beneficial, applications advance

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Although some locations still have some final acreage remaining, the latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA) weekly crop progress report is reflecting a completion of corn and soybean harvesting for 2024.

While a final yield tally will not be immediately available, it has been discussed within agriculture and fertilizer segments as having been a more productive year – especially for corn – than was anticipated given the extremely hot and very dry conditions present this summer.

For fertilizers, there is optimism remaining that over the next few weeks, winter will not quickly settle in and that weather conditions will be beneficial enough to see post-harvest applications gain more momentum.

One product that is expected to see an uptick as long as there is no further rainfall is ammonia, with wet fields having been an issue for undertaking these end-of-the-year inputs through the first half of November in some states.

The USDA did report there is now 77% of the cotton crop complete with the sorghum harvest having reached 95%.

The next significant crop will be winter wheat, which the weekly update showed is now 94% planted with 84% having emerged. There is 49% of the crop rated as being in good to excellent condition.