Planting begins in the U.S.

Apr 10, 2019

Farmers have planted about 2 percent of the national corn crop

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Some American farmers have started their 2019 planting seasons.

Producers have planted about 2 percent of the national corn acres, the USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin said on April 9. That figure is on par with the five-year average.

From a state perspective, Texas farmers are the furthest ahead.

Producers there have planted 53 percent of the state’s corn, the USDA said.

The crop is at different stages depending on location, said David Gibson, executive director of Texas Corn Producers.

Texas farmers “will be planting about two million acres and we’ve got about 1.3 million acres in the ground,” he told Farms.com. “We have some corn in the Rio Grande Valley that might start tasseling in a week or 10 days.

“We also have some areas in the Panhandle that are a little drier than we’d like to see at this time and are getting some high winds. Farmers won’t be planting that crop until the end of the month or even later, so let’s hope the conditions in those areas improve.”

The only other states to record any corn planting are Kansas (2 percent), Kentucky (2 percent), Missouri (2 percent), North Carolina (5 percent) and Tennessee (8 percent).

Spring wheat planting is also underway.

U.S. farmers have seeded 1 percent of the 2019 spring wheat crop, the USDA said. That figure is down from the five-year average of 5 percent.

Only two states have recorded any spring wheat planting.

Farmers in Washington have planted 11 percent of the state’s 2019 spring wheat acres and growers in Idaho have planted 3 percent of their spring wheat crop.

Idaho’s figure is down from the five-year average of 26 percent.

Weather is the main reason for being behind schedule, said Ryan Searle, a wheat producer from Shelley, Idaho.

“It seems that, every time I finish a field, it rains,” he told Farms.com. “That’s a good thing in one sense but, in another, it just slows me down. I would usually be finished planting right now but I’ve probably still got 60 percent of my crop left to plant.”

Winter wheat is starting to head.

About 3 percent of the winter wheat crop has headed, the USDA said. That number is only down one percentage point from the five-year average.

Winter wheat in Texas is 15 percent headed. That figure is the highest among the 18 documented states.

Only Arkansas and California (10 percent each) and Illinois (1 percent) have also recorded winter wheat heading.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.