The USDA has announced that agricultural producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs – two USDA safety net programs – for the 2020 crop year.

Following the Oct. 7, 2019, USDA Crop Progress report, crops still remains significantly behind schedule. Additionally, corn and soybean saw some small decreases in their reported “good” and “excellent” crop conditions.

According to USDA’s Sept. 23 Crop Progress report, 7% of corn has been harvested, but few growers in the big corn states have taken their combines out the shed. Meanwhile, soybeans still have a lot of catching up to do. Overall, the condition of both crops is little changed from the past few weeks.

Corn in the dough stage improved from last week’s rate of 89% to 93% as of Sept. 15. This still remains behind the corn in the dough stage percentage from Sept. 15, 2018 of 99% and the 5 year average of 98%.

The home stretch of this year’s U.S. corn and soybean crops is still a ways off, unlike recent years when, by this date, farmers would be preparing their combines for harvest.

While corn in the dough stage improved from 71% a week ago to 81% as of Sept. 1, the crop continues to trail last year’s development for this date, which was 95%, as well as the 5 year average of 93%. Corn dented is even further behind, with only 41% of this year’s crop at this stage vs. 73% last year on this date and 5 year average of 63%.

The latest Crop Progress report from USDA shows a small improvement in the condition of both corn and soybean crops as of Aug. 25. But, as expected, both remain significantly behind both last year's and the 5 year average when it comes to pace of development.

There was very little change in the overall condition of this year’s corn and soybean crop during the past week, but both continue to lag crop conditions at this point a year ago, according to USDA’s Aug. 19 Crop Progress report.

USDA’s Aug. 11 Crop Progress report indicates that neither the 2019 corn and soybean crops are where they would be typically at this point of the year and are still feeling the weather effects that caused the late planting season this spring.

USDA reports that, as of July 28, 58% of corn acres are silking. This up for 35% in the week prior, but far beyond the 90% a year earlier and the 5 year average of 83% for this date.