U.S. farmers have made limited progress on corn planting this spring, with only 2% of intended acreage seeded across major producing states as of April 6, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA's weekly Crop Progress report shows corn planting slightly behind the five-year average of 3% for this date. Texas continues to lead corn-planting efforts with 59% of intended acreage already in the ground, while North Carolina has completed 8% of its corn planting.
Cotton planting has begun in select southern states, with 6% of the total intended acreage planted across the 15 major cotton-producing states, matching the five-year average. Arizona has made substantial progress with 19% of its cotton area planted, while Texas has reached 10%.
Field conditions across the country remain variable, with 41% of cropland reporting adequate topsoil moisture. However, 19% of land is classified as having surplus moisture, which could delay fieldwork in some regions.
Farmers averaged 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork last week, providing opportunities to prepare equipment and fields for the coming planting season.
Winter wheat condition ratings showed 49% of the crop in good to excellent condition, with another 26% rated fair. The remaining 25% was rated poor to very poor, reflecting ongoing drought concerns in some winter wheat growing areas.
The USDA will continue weekly crop progress reporting throughout the growing season, with expectations for increased planting activity as temperatures warm across the Corn Belt in coming weeks.
