Corn and Soybean Planting Ahead of Average in Latest USDA Report

USDA published the third Crop Progress report of the 2025 growing season on April 21.

Corn Progress

USDA said that as of April 20, 12% of the corn crop in the country’s top states has been planted. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 10%.

According to the report, corn planting has begun in 17 of the top 18 states. Only North Dakota has no reported corn planted.

This time last year, just 15 states had started planting corn.

Two percent of the corn crop has emerged across five of the top corn-growing states. That’s on track with the five-year average.

The five states with corn emergence reported are Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Soybean Planting Progress

USDA said that as of April 20, 8% of the soybean crop in the nation’s top states was in the ground. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 5%.

According to the report, soybean planting has begun in 14 of the top 18 states:

• Arkansas: 32%
• Illinois: 10%
• Indiana: 3%
• Iowa: 11%
• Kansas: 5%
• Kentucky: 7%
• Louisiana: 56%
• Minnesota: 3%
• Mississippi: 35%
• Missouri: 15%
• Nebraska: 2%
• North Carolina: 7%
• Tennessee: 15%
• Wisconsin: 2%

Winter Wheat Progress

USDA reported that 15% of the winter wheat crop across nine of the top 18 states had headed as of April 20. The five-year average is 13%.

For the week ending April 20, the condition of the nation’s winter wheat crop was as follows:

• Good/excellent: 45%
• Fair: 34%
• Poor/very poor: 21%

Spring Wheat Progress

In the top six spring wheat-growing states, 17% of the crop has been planted. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 12%.

Washington leads the six top states with 57% of its spring wheat crop planted.

As of April 20, 2% of the spring wheat crop had emerged across four of the top six states. That’s on track with the five-year average.

Oat Crop Progress

Across the nine top oat-growing states, 53% of the season’s planting is complete, according to USDA. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 44%.

Across eight of the nine states, 31% of the oat crop had emerged by April 20. Only Wisconsin had no oats emerged.