The USDA crop progress report released on Monday afternoon, covering the week through 13 September, showed the corn crop's condition improving when analysts had expected a modest decline, Farm Progress reports. Soybean ratings held steady and combines rolled in more southern row crops.

Corn rated good-to-excellent rose one point to 57%; trade guesses had ranged between 55% and 56%. About 26% of the crop is rated fair, down a point, and 17% poor or very poor, unchanged. Physiologically, 86% is dented, up from 76% and a little ahead of the five-year average of 84%; 42% is fully mature against an average of 38%; and harvest moved from 5% to 8% complete, slightly ahead of last year's 7% and the average of 6%.

Soybeans stayed at 58% good-to-excellent, matching expectations, with 29% fair and 13% poor or very poor, all unchanged. Leaf drop reached 44% from 26% a week earlier, ahead of the 37% average, and USDA recorded harvest for the first time this season at 6% across the 18 main states, led by Louisiana at 59% and Mississippi at 50%.

Other crops also advanced: cotton harvest is 8% complete, up from 7%; sorghum 22% from 20%; peanuts 2% from 1%; rice 62% from 50%; and spring wheat 93% from 86%. Winter wheat planting for 2026-27 stands at 8%, behind last year's 10% and the five-year average of 12%.

Source: Farm Progress