Sep 23, 2020
2020 U.S. Corn Condition 61% G/E, 8% Harvested
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The weather this week is forecasted to be warm and dry, which at this point is beneficial for drying down the corn to an acceptable harvest moisture. Early yield reports are somewhat mixed with some disappointing yields, but that could be due to the fact that the driest fields may be harvested first. We need to wait a little longer to accurately judge the early yields.
I left the corn yield at 176.0 bu/ac this week and I think the USDA will lower their estimate in the October Crop Report from the 178.5 bu/ac they reported in the September Crop Report. The USDA may also lower the harvested acreage in the October Crop Report because the acreage data being reported by the Farm Services Agency indicates that the corn planted acreage may be a little less than the 92.0 million acres indicated in the June Planted Report. They might lower the harvested acreage 300-500,000 acres.
The corn condition improved 1% last week to 61% rated good to excellent. The corn is 95% dented compared to 76% last year and 90% average. The corn is 59% mature compared to 26% last year and 49% average and the corn is 8% harvested compared to 6% last year and 10% average.
The warm and dry forecast should promote a quick dry down of the corn and an early start to harvest. This is good news for farmers who struggled to harvest their corn last fall.