The U.S. corn harvest is 79 percent complete, significantly ahead of the average 38 percent for this time of year, due to early planting that stemmed from unusually warm weather in the spring, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Iowa and Illinois, the two top corn-producing states, are at 87 percent for their harvests. Growers “have been making some excellent progress” in harvesting crops in much of the Midwest, said Joel Karlin, market analyst for Western Milling. “You have had some pretty good harvest conditions.”
Seventy-one percent of the U.S. soybean crop has been harvested, up from the five-year average of 58 percent for this time of year, according to the USDA. In addition, 96 percent of the crop was dropping leaves as of October 14, one percentage point above normal.
