DES MOINES, Iowa –The U.S. corn and soybean crop conditions continue to weaken, as the hot and dry weather threatens corn pollination and soybean pod-setting stages.
In its weekly Crop Progress Report, the USDA dropped both crops’ good-to-excellent ratings, for the fourth week in a row, while the spring wheat crop continues to deteriorate.
Meanwhile, the corn crop rating is worse than the 2013 crop at this point in the growing season.
CORN
As of Sunday, 64% of the U.S. corn crop had been rated good/excellent, below the 65% rating a week ago but within the trade’s expectations, according to the USDA Crop Progress Report Wednesday.
The governmental agency noted that Minnesota’s corn crops are rated at 79% good-to-excellent condition, while Iowa’s crop rating is pegged at 71%; both state ratings are below a week ago. USDA pegged the amount of the U.S. corn in the silking stage at 40%, below a 47% five-year average.