USDA Crop Progress Reports Paused by Shutdown; Farmers Push Ahead with Harvest

The USDA did not publish what would have been the 27th Crop Progress report of the 2025 growing season on Monday due to the government shutdown. The Economics, Statistics, and Market Information System website, which houses the Crop Progress reports, “will not be updated during the funding lapse,” according to a notification on the site.

The last Crop Progress report was published Sept. 29 — two days before the government shutdown. That means the latest publicly available progress data are for the week ending Sept. 28.

Impact of Recent Government Shutdowns on Crop Progress Reporting

According to NPR, the last government shutdown, which lasted 34 days, occurred at the end of 2018 and carried into 2019. Because the Crop Progress report is only published from April through November, that shutdown did not affect the report. Prior to that, a two-day government shutdown in January 2018 also did not impact Crop Progress reporting.

The third most recent government shutdown, which was in the fall of 2013, did affect Crop Progress reporting. The reports that were scheduled for Oct. 7 and Oct. 14, 2013, were canceled due to the 2013 shutdown, according to an Agri-Pulse report at the time. Once the shutdown was over and reporting proceeded, references to the previous week’s data in the Oct. 21, 2013, report were recorded as “(NA).”

“While the lapse in federal funding has ended, NASS has not been able to engage in the necessary data collection and analysis over the past few weeks,” the USDA explained at the time.

Progress Estimates in Lieu of Report

Using corn and soybean harvest progress trends through September 2025, the five-year average of progress from last year at this time, and a Reuters poll, here are some rough estimates of corn and soybean harvest progress for the week ending Oct. 5, 2025.

Corn Harvest Progress Estimate

Through September, corn harvest across the top 18 corn-growing states progressed largely with the five-year average, falling behind by one percentage point in the latest report.

The five-year average about this time last year was 27%, according to the USDA, and harvest progress as of the latest report was just behind the five-year average. Considering both those facts, corn harvest progress is likely near 27%.

Based on a poll of nine analysts, Reuters published an estimate that the U.S. corn crop was 29% harvested by Sunday, Oct. 5.

Soybean Harvest Progress Estimate

Through September, soybean harvest across the top 18 soybean-growing states also progressed largely with the five-year average. As with corn harvest progress, soybean progress fell behind by one percentage point in the latest report.

The five-year average about this time last year was 34%, according to the USDA, and harvest progress as of the last report was just behind the five-year average. Considering both those facts, soybean harvest progress is likely near 34%.

Based on the analyst poll poll Reuters pegged the U.S. soybean crop at 39% harvest progress by Sunday, Oct. 5.