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Corn planting is entering the home stretch, with less than 15% of the crop yet to be sown, USDA crop progress data showed Tuesday. The report pegged corn planting at 86% complete as of Sunday, just a percentage point shy of the average estimate of 87% seen in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. That’s up from 76% a week earlier and remains ahead of the five-year average of 83%.
Soybean planting was 79% complete, matching the average estimate and up from 67% a week ago. It’s also well ahead of the five-year average of 68%.
Spring wheat planting was 86% complete, also in line with the average estimate and up from 73% a week earlier. It’s also ahead of the five-year average of 79% for this time of year.
- The report showed 60% of the corn crop had emerged, up from 38% a week ago and a five-year average of 58%.
- Soybeans were 49% emerged, up from 32% a week ago and a five-year average of 40%.
- Spring wheat saw 56% emergence, up from 39% a week ago and a five-year average of 51%.
Corn, soybean ratings next week: USDA indicated it is likely to begin including crop condition ratings for corn and soybeans in the crop progress report beginning next week.
- Dr. Michael Cordonnier, Pro Farmer crop consultant, on Monday said the first corn condition rating should indicate that approximately 74 to 75% of the corn is rated good to excellent. The five-year average for the first corn rating is 72.2% good to excellent.
- The first soybean condition rating should indicate that approximately 70 to 71% of the soybeans are rated good to excellent. The five-year average of the first soybean condition rating is 67.6% rated good to excellent.
Winter wheat conditions: The percentage of the winter wheat crop rated good to excellent as of Sunday fell 1 percentage point from the previous week to 26%, versus analyst expectations for an uptick to 28%. The crop in the Plains has suffered a devastating drought as well as frosts and freezes.
- On the weighted Pro Farmer Crop Condition Index (0 to 500-point scale, with 500 being perfect), the HRW crop declined 1.11 points to 240.53. Oklahoma saw the largest decline this week, as most of the state missed out on rains that slightly boosted the crop rating elsewhere in the southern Plains.
Sulfur supply woes crimp phosphate production: Much of the focus on the fertilizer shortage caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has focused on nitrogen, particularly urea. But fertilizer companies have been cutting production of crucial phosphate fertilizers as a result of disruption to the shipment of sulfur through the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times noted in a weekend report. Before the war, around half of the world’s sulfur trade passed through the strait.
- “This situation around Hormuz was in the beginning a raw material problem that has turned into a fertilizer supply shock,” Faris Derrij, chief executive of OCP Nutricrops, whose parent OCP Group is the world’s biggest phosphate exporter, told the newspaper.
French crop concerns: European weather conditions have – and continue to be – good for crop development, but dryness has accelerated in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and barts of the U.K. and Germany, said World Weather Inc. The next 10 days will be dominated by warmer-than-usual weather and lighter-than-usual rainfall, with France offering the most concern due to existing dryness. “Crop stress is expected during the coming week, but losses to winter, spring and summer crops are unlikely – at least initially. There will have to be some significant rain soon, though, to protect production potentials,” World Weather said.
India soymeal cancellations: Indian traders cancelled 25,000 metric tons of soymeal export contracts for the first time since 2021 and booked 80,000 tons of imports from African countries after soaring domestic prices reversed trade flows, Reuters reported, citing trade sources. The report said the cancellations are likely to help soymeal suppliers in North and South America boost shipments to Asian buyers that traditionally source from India.
Disaster declaration: USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday signed a disaster designation for 17 counties in Pennsylvania due to damage and losses caused by below-freezing temperatures that occurred April 19 through April 21, 2026. Producers in Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, and York Counties have until Jan. 26, 2027, to apply for these emergency loans. Additionally, USDA said it was reviewing disaster designations for the remaining counties in Pennsylvania and is gathering data.
Ukraine wheat harvest: Ukraine’s major farmers’ union said Tuesday it expects the country to harvest 22 to 23 million metric tons of wheat in 2026, not far off last year’s production of 23 million tons, Reuters reported. The economy ministry has said farmers can harvest around 22.4 million tons of wheat this year, the report noted, while the APK-Inform agriculture consultancy expects the harvest at 20 million tons, 15% less than in 2025. UAC said Ukrainian wheat stocks could total 4.5 million tons as of June 1 against 2.6 million tons a year earlier, and the union added that traders had already contracted about 3 million tons of wheat from the 2026 harvest.
BP removes chairman: Oil giant BP removed its chairman, Albert Manifold, after the oil major’s board was alerted to “serious concerns” related to governance standards, oversight and conduct, the Wall Street Journal reported. London-based BP said its board had unanimously decided Manifold should no longer serve as chair and that he would depart immediately. BP didn’t provide details about the reasons for Manifold’s departure and the executive didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, the report said. The Journal noted Manifold’s departure is a blow for BP, which is attempting to reinvigorate its fossil-fuel business after an ill-timed turn toward renewable energy.
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