U.S. Corn Harvest Seen as 29% Complete, Soybeans 39%; Ratings Dip

By Julie Ingwersen

CHICAGO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – U.S. farmers had a busy week of harvesting amid warm and dry weather in the U.S. Midwest crop belt last week but progress as of Sunday was still seen as slightly behind the year-ago pace, according to a Reuters poll of nine analysts.

On average, the analysts estimated that the U.S. corn crop was 29% harvested by Sunday, up from 18% the previous week but behind the year-ago pace of 30%.

For soybeans, analysts on average pegged the harvest as 39% complete, up from 19% last week but behind last year’s figure of 47%.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture normally publishes a weekly crop progress report each Monday afternoon, but due to the ongoing government shutdown, no reports from the agency’s statistical arm were scheduled for release on Monday.

Dry weather prevailed across most of the Corn Belt over the weekend, forecaster Vaisala said, but radar images showed showers crossing the western half of the region by midday Monday, including Iowa, the top U.S. corn-producing state and the No. 2 soybean grower.

“It was an active harvest until last night,” said Don Roose, president of Iowa-based U.S. Commodities.

Analysts on average rated 65% of the U.S. corn crop and 61% of the soybean crop in good-to-excellent condition, each down one percentage point from the USDA’s week-ago ratings.

Farmers continue to sow the U.S. winter wheat crop that will be harvested in 2026. Analysts on average estimated winter wheat planting as 50% complete, up from the USDA’s estimate of 34% as of September 28.