USDA reported 41% of corn crops harvested, above the 39% reported harvested by this time in 2020. The 5-year average for corn harvested in this week is 31%.

USDA reported 29% of corn crops harvested, above the 24% reported harvested by this time in 2020. The 5-year average for corn harvested in this week is 22%.

USDA's crop progress report for the week ended August 8 reported 8% of corn dented, below the 10% reported dented in the same week last year. The 5-year average for corn dented in this week was 11%.

According to the report, 91% of soybeans have emerged, above the 86% reported emerged in the same week last year. The 5-year average for soybean emergence in this week was 85%.

According to the latest Crop Progress report from USDA, some 96% of corn was reported emerged, above both the 94% emerged last year and the 90% emerged in the week prior. The 5-year average emergence rate for this week was 91%.

Economists at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University have issued a new policy brief that measures the revenue impacts the COVID-19 outbreak is having on some of Iowa's largest agricultural industries. Estimates show overall annual damage of roughly $788 million for corn, $213 million for soybean, over $2.5 billion for ethanol, $658 million for fed cattle, $34 million for calves and feeder cattle, and $2.1 billion for hogs.

This spring has been called the wettest on record in the Corn Belt and other major growing regions of the U.S. and the pace of planting would seem to verify this claim. As of Sunday, May 26, corn planting in the U.S. is 32 days behind the 5 year average and soybeans are 37 days behind the 5 year average.

USDA data indicates that corn planted after the middle of this month (May) tends to produce lower yields than corn crops planted in April or early part of May. This isn’t good news for anyone involved.