Jun 11, 2019
2019 U.S. Corn Planting 83% done, 15 Million Acres left to Plant
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The 2019 U.S. corn crop is 83% planted compared to 99% last year and 99% for the 5-year average. This represents an advance of 16% for the week. Based on the March Prospective Planting Report, there are still approximately 15 million acres of corn that have not been planted, but I do not think that all those acres will be planted. Corn emergence is 62% compared to 93% last year and 93% for the 5-year average.
Corn planting continues to be the slowest in the eastern Corn Belt with Illinois 73% planted (average is 100%), Indiana is 67% (average is 98%), Ohio is 50% (average is 96%), and Michigan is 63% (average is 95%).
The western Corn Belt did better last week with Iowa 93% planted (average is 100%), Nebraska is 94% (average is 99%), Kansas is 89% (average is 97%), and Missouri is 81% (average is 98%). In the northwestern Corn Belt, Minnesota is 92% planted (average is 99%), North Dakota is 93% (average is 98%), and South Dakota is 64% (average is 99%).
This is the driest streak of weather across the Midwest thus far this spring, so some farmers may still try to plant their intended corn acres this week. Past this week though, I think very little additional corn will be planted
That will present a dilemma next Monday when the corn planting progress is reported. In years with record slow planting such as this year, at some point all the farmers will indicate that they have finished planting corn. The problem is we will not know if farmers managed to plant all their corn or if they called it quits and will leave some of their intended corn unplanted.
Corn acreage - I think farmers will make a final push this week to plant as much corn as possible. Therefore, I am going to leave the planted corn acreage unchanged this week at 86.3 million acres. My intension was to lower the corn planted acreage this week, but I decided to hold off on any adjustment to the acreage due to the improved planting weather.
Corn yield drag - Corn planted on June 4th in Illinois could have up to a 20% yield drag. Corn planted on June 10th could have a yield drag up to a 30%. By this coming weekend, the yield drag could be as high as 40%, so I think very little corn will be planted past this coming weekend.