Rainfall in Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois Could Further Delay Corn and Soybean Planting This Week
Rain across the Midwest continues to delay corn and soybean planting
Today, Drovers CattleNetwork reported that rainfall in low-lying areas of the country could further delay corn and soybean planting throughout the week. Beginning on Thursday, heavy rains are expected throughout Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois, according to Don Keeney, a meteorologist for MDA Weather Services.
Over the past few weeks, storms have delayed planting across Midwestern states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the U.S. farmers had planted just 12% of their intended corn acreages at the beginning of May as a result of the weather; soybean and seedings of spring wheat were also lagging due to cold and wet conditions.
U.S. farmers have reportedly slowed the pace of planting in recent weeks due to rainy conditions that delayed the tail end of corn seeding and pushed soybean planting to its slowest in 17 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its weekly crop progress report on Tuesday. Drovers CattleNetwork claims the slow seeding of both crops has also “raised concerns about reduced yields at autumn harvest as key phases of crop development will likely be delayed until the heat of the summer. A late planting also increases the possibility of an early frost inflicting further damage on the crops.”
While corn progress was down from 99% a year ago, the USDA says that corn planting was 86 percent complete as of May 26, up 15 percentage points from a week earlier. With soybeans experiencing the slowest planting pace since 1996, it remains to be seen whether farmers will be able to make up for lost time in the face of wet weather conditions.