Corn States Nowhere Near 2016 Planting Pace

The state of Missouri, in particular, is lagging behind significantly at only 17% planted as of Easter Sunday. Last year, Missouri farmers had already planted 53% of the state's crop. Farmers did use the above-average temperatures and 4.4 days that were suitable for fieldwork this week to their advantage, bumping Missouri corn planting up 12% in just a week. This week 1% of the state's planted corn emerged, as well.

Indiana has 4% of the state's total corn acres planted, which is 3 percentage points above last year at this time. Indiana growers are still 2 percentage points behind the state's five-year average of 6%, though. That's not surprising as only 3.2 days were suitable for fieldwork in the past seven days, the USDA says.

In Nebraska, farmers are right in line with the five-year average pace of planting at 3% planted. In 2016, the state already had 6% of corn planted at this time. Temperatures were warmer than average, and farmers had 4.8 days that were suitable for fieldwork last week, according to the USDA.

Illinois farmers are making progress but only have 6% of the state's total corn acres planted. That's 7 percentage points below the state's five-year average planting pace and 5 percentage points below last year's planting pace. In the past seven days, farmers only had 2.8 days that were suitable for fieldwork and relished temperatures that were 10°F. above normal.

The state of Kansas got four days that were suitable for fieldwork last week but still is struggling to get close to the rate of planting it experienced last year. At this point, Kansas farmers have planted 9% of corn, which is 23% behind where they were at last year and 9% behind the five-year average.

In Iowa, only 2% of total corn acres are planted, which is 2 percentage points behind the five-year average and 9 percentage points behind last year's pace of planting, 11%.

Minnesota growers have 1% of the state's corn in the ground, which puts them 10 percentage points behind where they were last year in terms of corn planting. The state's five-year average rate of planting at this time is 5%.

The states of North Dakota, Michigan, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Ohio do not yet have planting data listed in the Crop Progress Report.

Click to here to see the latest corn planting data from our own Crop Progress Maps.