USDA crop progress: corn and soybean quality remains stable

For a second consecutive week, analysts predicted that the USDA would reduce its quality ratings for corn and soybean crops, but the agency has maintained its weekly progress report. of the culture. However, industry analysts have again predicted that the USDA would reduce its maize crop quality rating from 72% in good to excellent conditions to 71% for the week ending July 29th. . stable in all areas, note 22% of the harvest in excellent condition and 50% of the harvest in good condition. The agency did not make any changes for the rest of the crop, a score of 19% in fair condition and the remaining 9% as poor or very poor.

Physiologically, the 2018 maize crop continues to grow about a week ahead of previous years, with 91% reaching the soybean stage, up from 81% a week ago – compared to the 2017 pace and average quinquennale, both at 82%. Another 38% of the crop reached the pulp stage, up 18% a week ago, and moderately above the 21% in 2017 and the five year average of 20%

. , at 70% good to excellent, although the agency went from 52/18 to 53/17. Analysts expected an overall reduction of 69%. The rest of this year's soybean crop is rated 22% fair, 6% poor and 2% very poor.

Physiologically, 86% of the soybean crop is flowering, up from 78% a week ago, and still in 2017 at 80% and the five-year average of 77%. Another 60% of production consists of pods, up from 44% the previous week, 45% from the same period in 2017 and a five-year average of 41%.

week at 78%. Analysts were expecting this number to fall to 77%. Spring wheat harvest has also begun, reaching 4% by July 29th. The harvest starts moderately compared to the pace of 2017, which had reached 8% this year last year, but is even with the five-year average of 4%. South Dakota jumped 35% from its spring wheat crop, with the other six leading producers growing by only one number to date.

Winter wheat progressed from nearly 80% week to 85%. This progress is largely in line with the pace of 87% in 2017 and 86% on average over five years.

The condition of sorghum crops increased from 49% to 52% on July 29th. -four percent of the crop is now directed (up from 47% last year), and 26% at the staining stage (compared to 23% last year).

Further south, 43% of the US cotton crop is rated good to excellent, up 39% the previous week. High quality crop ratings in some areas of the Mid-South and Southeast increase the national average despite relatively poor quality rankings in the Southwest.