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Corn planting progress 4th slowest on record

USDA’s meteorologist says this year’s corn planting progress is one of the slowest on record and the forecast looks like that’s not going to improve.

“Unfortunately given the weather that we’re seeing across the Midwest this week, we do not expect to see much significant corn planting progress again in next week’s report so it’s possible we’ll move even higher on that list of slow corn planting years.”   

As of Sunday, 23 percent of corn was planted, the fourth slowest on record.

Brad Rippey says national sugarbeet planting is only at 31 percent with flooding and cold weather in the Red River Valley causing significant delays.

“Just 13 percent planted in Minnesota, 17 percent in North Dakota, the five-year averages for both of those states— 62 percent.”   

Spring wheat planting is behind as well because of cold weather.

“We’ve seen widespread freezes in recent days in North Dakota for example and just generally chilly conditions and even some snow from time to time in some of the northernmost production areas.”

Rippey says 22 percent of spring wheat is planted, one of the slowest paces in the past two decades.