Rainfall averages of over 1.5” for the state of Illinois slowed planting progress last week, but you still made substantial gains overall. Showing what corn farmers can do with just a few good days, you gained an additional 24% of corn planting progress. Illinois is now at 66% planted to corn overall, far ahead of the 5-year average of 38%. That means that a majority of the crop is in the ground in ample time, early enough that the typical yield losses due to later planting alone shouldn’t be an issue. Of course, there is a lot of growing season left.

For the full story and more details, listen to the audio update with Mark Schleusener of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.