U.S. soybean harvest jumps by 150 percent in one week

Current levels are still under the five-year average

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

The American soybean harvest more than doubled in one week, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin.

Farmers have harvested 10 percent of the U.S. soybean crop as of Sept. 24, according to the report. That number is up from 4 percent last week, which represents an increase of about 150 percent, but is still short of the 12 percent five-year average.

On a state level, farmers in Louisiana have completed the highest percentage of their soybean harvest.

75 percent of Louisiana’s soybeans have been harvested. That number is up from 63 percent last week and a 61 percent five year average.

On the other hand, farmers in Wisconsin have the lowest recorded soybean harvest completion of the 18 states recorded.

Producers in Wisconsin have harvested 2 percent of their soybean crop, according to the USDA.

The USDA also ranked 49 percent of the total U.S. soybean crop as good. That number is down from 54 percent last year.

Corn

Growers have harvested 11 percent of the total U.S. corn crop, according to the USDA’s report.

That number is up from 7 percent last week, but below the five-year average of 17 percent.

Farmers in North Carolina have harvested 77 percent of their corn crop, which is the highest amount of the 18 states documented. That number is up from 68 percent last week.

Farmers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota have only completed 1 percent of their corn harvest. And farmers in Wisconsin have yet to begin corn harvest, according to the USDA.

The USDA ranked 47 percent of the national corn crop as good. That number is down from 54 percent last year.

Wheat

As corn and soybean farmers are running their combines, winter wheat producers across the U.S. are making their way through fields with planters.

24 percent of the total U.S. winter wheat crop has been planted, according to the USDA. That number is up from 13 percent last week.

Growers in Washington have completed 53 percent of their winter wheat planting. That number is the highest of the 18 states recorded, according to the USDA. That number is also up from 43 percent last year.

Farmers in North Carolina have completed 2 percent of their winter wheat planting, while producers in Illinois have yet to plant any winter wheat.

Suitable fieldwork days

The states with the highest number of suitable fieldwork days for the week ending Sept. 24 were:

• California, Arizona, Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Maryland – 7 days
• Virginia – 6.9 days
• Louisiana, Arkansas, New Hampshire – 6.8 days

And the states with the lowest number of suitable fieldwork days during the same time period were:

• Rhode Island – 3.5 days
• Idaho – 4 days
• North Dakota – 4.2 days
• Minnesota – 4.4 days

Weekly precipitation levels

The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released on Tues., Oct. 3.