As corn planting is complete in many areas, the focus is shifting to crop conditions. And USDA’s latest weekly report shows the corn crop in the U.S. could be deteriorating
Nationwide, USDA shows 72% of the corn crop is rated good to excellent, which is a 4 percentage point drop from last week. This week’s rating is also 3 points behind last year.
This past weekend, the north Corn Belt saw blast of heat, with areas of North Dakota recording record high temperatures. National Weather Service data showed a reading of 106 degrees at the Bismarck airport, the second-earliest day ever that the area had reached triple digits. The earliest was May 27, 1934.
The heat combined with drought isn’t helping the state’s crop. USDA says 42% of the corn crop in the state is rated good to excellent, which is the worst of any state. The second worst crop conditions sit in South Dakota, where 46% of the state’s crop is in the top two categories.
Kentucky farmers are seeing the best crop conditions, with 86% of the state’s corn crop rated good to excellent.
